Court dismisses request to halt police promotions

A police superintendent's request to halt promotions to assistant commissioner of police because the process was "vitiated" has been thrown out of court.

Superintendent Raymond Zammit had filed an application asking a court to issue a warrant of prohibitory injunction against the promotions. The application was filed against the Minister of Home Affairs and the Commissioner of Police.

Supt. Zammit claimed he had not been given the points he deserved, particularly for job-related knowledge and seniority. As a consequence he was placed sixth in rank order when five assistant commissioners were to be appointed. He said he should have been placed second or third.

The court noted, however, there were only three positions to be filled and therefore he did not qualify as he had been placed sixth. It added that all the other applicants were just as qualified as he was.

The court ruled that there were no grounds for the prohibitory injunction to be enforced as there were no indications that the process had been vitiated.

The Police Commissioner had also evaluated the results of the examinations and found there were no irregularities in the selection process.

In handing down judgement the court said that although he had not been accepted for a second time, he was young and still had the chance to realise his ambitions.

Dr Anġlu Farrugia signed the application.