A policeman on long sick leave has been working as a lawyer while waiting for his boarding out application to be processed.

Alfred Abela was promoted to sergeant major last December on the recommendation of former acting police commissioner Ray Zammit – just a month after he had graduated as a lawyer. In February he went out on sick leave and applied to be boarded out for medical reasons. Although he has not returned to work, he has been regularly representing clients in court. In August Dr Abela defended a 34-year old man from Luqa accused of assaulting two policemen.

A police spokesman confirmed that sergeant major Abela is still considered to be a serving officer, adding that “the officer in question is on long sick leave”.

As to his application to be boarded out, the spokesman said that “in view that medical issues are considered as sensitive data, no other details can be divulged.”

When contacted Mr Abela confirmed that he has not gone to work at the police force since February but did not want to say whether he is on sick leave and working privately as a lawyer. He insisted that he had not yet resigned from the police force. 

Sergeant major Abela is the son of former assistant commissioner Alfred Abela who until a few weeks ago was the head of security at the Labour Party headquarters in Hamrun and is now chairman of the Board of the Police Academy.