Minister satisfied with police handling of bribery charges

The Home Affairs Minister has kept the controversy surrounding the police administrative law enforcement at arm’s length, reiterating his confidence in the Police Commissioner’s handling of the matter.

Just five days before the start of the autumn hunting season and the police unit trusted with monitoring hunting offences is hounded by allegations of bribery after a hunter alleged he paid police money in exchange for tip offs on raids.

“I am confident the Police Commissioner will take all necessary action should he deem it fit but certainly the other officers within the administrative law enforcement unit who consistently did their job dutifully and continue to do so should not bear the brunt of the misdeeds of others,” Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici said when asked whether he was considering reforming the police unit.

A police officer is expected to be arraigned on bribery charges and two others have been disciplined internally over less serious claims. The allegations surfaced during an interrogation of a 38-year-old hunter who was arrested over illegal hunting in April.

The allegations were investigated internally by the police, headed by Police Commissioner John Rizzo.

Dr Mifsud Bonnici said there “was no room for rotten apples within the police corps” and praised the actions taken by the Police Commissioner.

“The fact that the Commissioner of Police immediately took all the necessary disciplinary and criminal action against the officers involved proves that the force has effective and efficient mechanisms to detect wrongdoing within its ranks and act decisively,” the minister said.

Hunting on land for quails and turtle doves starts on September 1 and continue until January 31. Hunting is forbidden after 3 p.m. between September 15 and 30.

ksansone@timesofmalta.com