Police Commissioner John Rizzo is investigating claims that e-mails were deleted from the office computer of a high-ranking civil servant currently being investigated for alleged ethics breaches.

Confirmation of the police investigation came via a Government press statement, issued a few hours after Labour Home Affairs spokesman Michael Falzon echoed PL leader Joseph Muscat’s calls for a police investigation into the matter.

“The Commissioner has confirmed he will be investigating the allegations,” the statement said, adding that Dr Falzon and Dr Muscat should pass on any relevant information they may have.

Last Sunday Malta Today published claims that IT officials had visited the office of Internal Audit and Investigations directorate head Rita Schembri and deleted e-mails from her computer.

Ms Schembri, who also sits on EU anti-fraud office OLAF’s supervisory committee, is being investigated by the Auditor General over claims made by auditor Philip Rizzo that she used her civil service office to conduct private business. She is on temporary leave pending the investigation’s findings.

A spokesman from the Prime Minister’s Office said questions concerning the timing of the police investigation ought to be referred to the police themselves.

Police told The Times investigations were “ongoing”.

Ms Schembri originally made headlines after ex-Commissioner John Dalli questioned her role as a member of the supervisory committee of the EU’s anti-fraud agency OLAF, which in October revealed details of an investigation that led to his resignation.