Police Commissioner appointed 'according to regulations'

Home Affairs Minister Emanuel Mallia repeatedly insisted this evening that the new Commissioner of Police, Peter Paul Zammit, was appointed in total accordance with existing laws and regulations.

He was answering a number of supplementary questions by Nationalist MPs Lawrence Gonzi and George Pullicino.

Mr Pullicino asked time and again if Dr Zammit’s appointment had been approved by the Public Service Commission.

Following the Speaker’s repeated pointing out that the supplementary questions had nothing to do with the original PQ, and that the minister was not bound to answer them but could do so if he wanted to, Dr Mallia agreed with the Speaker and asked for a specific question on the Commissioner’s appointment.

Dr Gonzi said thepost of Commissioner of Police carried with it enormous responsibility and should be filled by a public official. Did Dr Zammit fit the bill of a public official?

Dr Mallia said Dr Zammit was indeed a public official, and he promised that  he would give the House a full timeline of the decision to appoint him Commissioner of Police.

The original question, by Jason Azzopardi (PN), was about the minister’s position with regard to the “arrears allegedly owed” to members of the police force in overtime payments.

Dr Mallia confirmed that talks were under way with the Malta Police Association on hammering out an agreement that would be just for all parties involved.

In reply to supplementary questions by Dr Azzopardi and Labour MP Anthony Agius Decelis, the minister said he had had separate talks with former Commissioner John Rizzo and a delegation from the MPA.

The problem dated back several years. To date he had been more concerned with the merit and principle of the situation, rather than the amount owed.

Mr Agius Decelis suggested Dr Mallia also talk to police officers directly involved.