The Prime Minister has appointed an inquiry presided by Judge Michael Mallia to investigate the involvement of former inspector Daniel Zammit in connection with Neville Baldacchino’s murder in December 2008.

In a statement this evening, the government noted that the investigation and the prosecution were carried out in the last legislature.

Judge Mallia has also been tasked to investigate any matter or person as necessary.

He has been given four weeks to conclude his inquiry, which should also include recommendations to improve existing procedures.

The Opposition welcomed the inquiry but noted that the Prime Minister took a whole week to take action on a scandal that involved people close to Castille and the Labour government.

It noted that the Prime Minister did not say what was to become of Mr Zammit’s father Ray, who the Labour government appointed Police Commissioner, Prisons Director and the head of the local enforcement agency which is to usher in the warden reform.

He also did not say what was to become of Mr Zammit’s brother Roderick, who, after the election, was sent to work in the most sensitive section of the police force.

Mr Zammit, 35, is currently embroiled in controversy because of the speed with which his boarding out from the police force was handled and the equally fast way he was handed a €60,000 consultancy role with Enemalta, an appointment the Energy Minister eventually stopped.

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

There have also been reports that he had business relations with Joe Gaffarena and his son Mark, who is also at the centre of another scandal related to the part expropriation of a Valletta property.

Allegedly, Mr Zammit had set up two companies with Mr Gaffarena senior, while investigating and prosecuting his son-in-law, Stephen Caruana, for the murder of Mr Baldacchino, who had an affair with with Mr Caruana's wife, who was also Mr Gaffarena's daughter.

PL'S REPLY TO OPPOSITION STATEMENT

In a reply to the Opposition statement, the Labour Party said that the Nationalist Party slept on the case being investigated for five years and it was only now that it was being investigated openly and independently.

This was a government that wanted the truth to come out, irrespective of when it happened or who did it. This was the difference the people were seeing.

For while the government acted, the Opposition spoke on everything and everyone but when faced with its own scandals it tried to escape from answering or taking action, as was the case with land at Mtahleb, the PL said.