All police officers have been ordered to declare their commercial interests as required by law after an inquiry found this was being widely ignored.

Sources said the internal circular was issued on Wednesday, 24 hours before the inquiry by former judge Michael Mallia was published by the Office of the Prime Minister.

Police Commissioner Michael Cassar asked police officers to submit their declarations in writing by not later than August 10.

The sources said the directive caught police officers by surprise since they were not yet privy to the inquiry findings that trained a spotlight on the shady links between some members of the force and the business world.

The law prohibits police officers from any activity likely to interfere with their work – or that could lead to such an impression among the public – unless written permission is obtained from the Police Commissioner.

The sources said the directive pointed out that submitting requests was not done “by one and all”. The internal circular specified that it was up to the Police Commissioner to approve or refuse the requests.

The directive noted that “all business, trade and financial activity” should have been declared and clearance requested from the Police Commissioner. Failure to comply with the directive would render police officers in breach of the law, the directive specified.

Failure to comply would render police officers in breach of the law

The only exception would be investments in the Malta Stock Exchange and commercial banks.

The Mallia inquiry highlighted the business links that former inspector Daniel Zammit, his brother, Inspector Roderick Zammit, and their father, former acting police commissioner Ray Zammit, had with “dubious” characters.

Judge Mallia said a murder investigation in 2008 had been “compromised” as a result of Daniel Zammit’s business ties with the Gaffarena family. The suspect in the murder of Neville Baldacchino was married into the Gaffarena family, prompting the judge to conclude that Daniel Zammit acted “unethically”.

The three Zammits were reprimanded for not seeking permission from their superiors when entering into the commercial ties.

The inquiry also highlighted the close relationship the brothers had with Paceville businessman Ugo Chetcuti. The brothers held a birthday party at Mr Chetcuti’s Madliena villa, an indication that the relationship was much more than just the “hi and bye” implied by them, the judge commented.

Tycoon demands inquiry into officers’ conduct

Paceville tycoon Ugo Chetcuti is insisting an inquiry into two police officers’ conduct, highlighting his personal relationship with them, was “unwarranted and slanderous”.

The inquiry, conducted by Judge Michael Mallia, was published on Thursday and looked into the dealings of former police inspector Daniel Zammit, his brother Roderick, a serving inspector, as well as their father, former acting police commissioner Ray Zammit.

The 18-page inquiry lambasted the Zammit brothers’ relationship with Mr Chetcuti, branding him a “dubious character”. In a statement, Mr Chetcuti took issue at the phrase and said he had never testified before the judge and had not been given a chance to give his version.

Judge Mallia also referred to Mr Chetcuti’s “copious” criminal record making him a person police officers should avoid having a personal relationship with.

Institing he had never been asked to testify by the inquiring judge, Mr Chetcuti pointed out that his criminal record was merely related to issues of noise and opening hours, which were ordinary infringements in the entertainment business.

He said there was no allegation about him that merited investigation, adding that the comments made by the judge in his regard were “baseless, gratuitous and slanderous”. He said he was reserving the right to take any other action he deemed fit, including libel proceedings.

Mr Chetcuti was less vociferous when it came to what was arguably the inquiry’s main finding in terms of Mr Chetcuti’s relationship with the brothers: a birthday bash the two held at his Madliena villa.

The inquiry questioned how the brothers had claimed to have only had a very causal “hi and bye” relationship with Mr Chetcuti when they were then invited to use his private home for a party.

Reacting, Mr Chetcuti said the police officers had not paid to use his home.

The inquiry noted that the party, despite being free of charge, compromised the two policemen since they became indebted to Mr Chetcuti for offering them his home.

Judge Mallia urged Roderick Zammit to stop frequenting lap dancing clubs as this was unbecoming of a police officer.

‘I never broke with procedure in murder probe‘

Former police inspector Daniel Zammit yesterday denied breaching protocol while investigating a 2008 murder and insisted he always acted within the law.

Mr Zammit said the inquiry was “factually incorrect” and reached the “wrong conclusions”.

He was reacting to the findings of an inquiry by former judge Michael Mallia into Mr Zammit’s conduct during an investigation into the fatal shooting of Neville Baldacchino in Qormi.

The inquiry found Mr Zammit had acted “unethically” when he engaged in business dealings with the family of the main suspect in the homicide case, Steve Caruana.

Mr Caruana was married into the Gaffarena family and was accused of shooting Mr Baldacchino after allegedly finding the man in bed with his wife, Romina.

Mr Zammit eventually entered into business with the Gaffarenas while still investigating the case. This, the inquiry noted, had exposed him to a conflict of interest.

In a statement, issued by his lawyers, Stefano Filletti and Stephen Tonna Lowell, Mr Zammit insisted his business dealings had never resulted in any commercial activity.

Judge Mallia also looked into Mr Zammit’s professional conduct during the investigation.

Although the court case is still ongoing, Judge Mallia accused Mr Zammit of stalling proceedings by asking for tissue samples to be taken from one of the suspects. Mr Zammit, however, said this was not done on his request but had been asked for by the Attorney General.

Mr Zammit also said Judge Mallia’s report failed to mention the “years of dedication to work and cases solved” under his watch.

The inquiry mentioned business ventures Mr Zammit had embarked upon during his time in the force. His dealings with the Gaffarena family started back in 2009, when the former officer bought land from the family. A year later, the relationship developed into a business venture through the creation of a joint company aimed at developing retirement homes.

The inquiry said members of the Gaffarena family had arrived at the crime scene before the police and had taken an “exaggeratedly” long time to hand in mobile phones to investigating officers. Worse still, the Qormi house where the murder took place was demolished and a block of apartments built instead.

kurt.sansone@timesofmalta.com