Justice Minister Owen Bonnici said yesterday he “warned” former acting police chief Ray Zammit about his conduct but did not remove him from his position as head of a government agency.
He was replying to questions on the findings of an inquiry that looked into Mr Zammit’s conduct together with that of his two sons, one a former police inspector and the other a serving officer.
The inquiry, by Judge Michael Mallia, found that Mr Zammit had, together with his sons, broken police regulations when he engaged in a number of business dealings with entrepreneurs.
The inquiry said that had Mr Zammit still been in the police force he should have been issued with a warning.
Mr Zammit was removed from his post of acting police commissioner after the shooting incident involving the former home affairs minister’s driver late last year. He returned to his previous rank of deputy police commissioner and acting director of prisons but stepped down earlier this year when he was appointed head of a government agency handling the warden system.
Dr Bonnici, who appointed Mr Zammit to the new post on a position of trust basis in May, said he had taken note of the inquiry and its conclusions regarding suggested disciplinary proceedings and had given Mr Zammit a warning not to repeat such conduct.
“We now look forward to keep delivering the promised change in local enforcement,” he said.
The Mallia inquiry has recommended disciplinary proceedings against Mr Zammit’s son, Roderick Zammit who still serves in the police force in the rank of inspector.
The inquiry found that Mr Zammit had been involved in the setting up of a retirement home together with his brother, former police inspector Daniel Zammit, and the Gaffarena family. He had also set up a consultancy firm earlier this year.
Police regulations prohibit officers from being involved in any business.
Police sources said Inspector Zammit was not suspended from the force pending the inquiry.
Police Commissioner Michael Cassar would not comment when contacted and directed this newspaper to the police’s communications arm. When asked what action was being taken against Inspector Zammit the public relations division replied that he was the subject of an ongoing police investigation.
The police sources indicated that Inspector Zammit would not be suspended from service. He was yesterday seen attending court hearings in his capacity as an inspector.
The Times of Malta reported last month that the police were looking into Inspector Zammit’s financial activity and that he had been transferred from the police money laundering unit to the Ħamrun station.