The police have refused to divulge the medical reasons on which former police inspector Daniel Zammit was boarded out.

The former officer, 35, was embroiled in controversy because of the speed with which his boarding out was handled and the equally fast way he was employed as a consultant with Enemalta soon after, an appointment the Energy Minister eventually stopped.

The medical reason is crucial to determine whether Mr Zammit will receive a full pension, in which case he is obliged not to take up alternative employment.

But the police would only say that Mr Zammit “was considered unfit for police duties by a medical board”.

A former police officer who spoke to Times of Malta on condition of anonymity said he “was left hanging for a year” before a decision on his boarding out was taken. In contrast, the process for Mr Zammit lasted only four days.

A police officer can be boarded out for different reasons: if the condition is serious, a full pension is given based on the fact that the individual is unable to work elsewhere. Another option is for a partial pension that allows the officer to take on a new job.

Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi told Parliament he was “very angry” at the situation because it was “unacceptable”.

The medical board that decided Mr Zammit was no longer fit for police duties falls under the Health Ministry, which forms part of Dr Mizzi’s portfolio.

Questions sent to the Health Ministry remained unanswered at the time of writing.

The police clarified that the board was totally independent from the force and did not involve any police members.

The consultancy originally offered to Mr Zammit with Enemalta’s internal audit department included a €60,000 remuneration package.

In his former police role, Mr Zammit was coordinating investigations into smart meter tampering with Enemalta’s internal audit department.

Only 25 consumers have been arraigned so far, according to information tabled in Parliament.

The government had given consumers with rigged meters – claimed by the government to number more than 1,000 – the opportunity to avoid prosecution by repaying what they owed with interest, paying a penalty and providing information on how the tampering was done.

Just over 400 consumers had applied for the amnesty. Based on the original figure given by the government, there are still over 500 cases pending.

Mr Zammit has refused to comment on the controversy, which has led to reports that he had business relations with Mark Gaffarena, who is also at the centre of another scandal related to the part expropriation of a Valletta property.

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