The Malta Police Association is calling upon the court to confirm its right to participate in a judicial sale by auction.

In a case filed in court today against the Police Commissioner, the permanent secretary in the Ministry for Home Affairs and Obelisk Auctions Ltd, the MPA

In February, Mr Justice Joseph Zammit McKeon temporarily upheld an application for an injunction filed by the Police Association and two public officers who felt aggrieved that they were being excluded from the bidding process.

The MPA, together with two public officers who felt aggrieved that they were being excluded from the bidding process, is challenging the exclusion saying it was not based on any legal provision and was therefore “discriminatory, arbitrary and illegal”

Some 129 vehicles, boats and spare parts that were previously used by the police force, while the weapons had been meant to go under the hammer. The force was also planning to auction off nearly 800 weapons that had been used by police officers or that had been impounded during investigations or seized by the courts, mostly in connection with environmental crimes as well as vintage pistols from the First Balkan War, police-issue firearms from decades past and rifles from a mysterious arms dump were all being made available to collectors.

Bidders were asked to sign a declaration that they were not public officers, because they were not allowed to take part if they were. It is not known who laid down this rule.

The MPA said today it had been forced to file the case in court after no progress was registered in over three months of constant negotiations between the parties.

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