A former constable who once called on the Prime Minister to sack the former police commissioner has been reinstated and given a backdated promotion, the Times of Malta is informed.

Edward Falzon, 51, known among police officers as It-Tenur (the tenor) and who describes himself on Facebook as “a born Labourite”, rejoined the force only after Michael Cassar stepped down from the post of police commissioner in April.

A police spokesman said Mr Falzon was reinstated after leaving in 2005. “We can confirm that, upon the recommendations of the grievances unit, Mr Falzon has been reinstated in the force in the rank of sergeant.”

Asked whether Mr Falzon was physically fit for the job, the spokesman said he “was also declared fit to carry police duties”.

Edward Falzon's Facebook post.

Mr Falzon had commented online that Mr Cassar took the police force back to the middle ages.

He accused Mr Cassar of not wanting “the old police officers” back in the force, as they “know many things”.

“We [the old officers] know a lot and, don’t worry, because the minister already knows and the Prime Minister will know soon. Very soon, I will also call a press conference so that everyone would know,” he wrote in a post last October.

Mr Falzon made the comments on his Facebook page as his application for reinstatement was being evaluated by a grievances board set up by the government soon after the 2013 election to address past injustices.

Saying that the injustice he had suffered had now been rectified, he thanked Prime Minister Joseph Muscat on Facebook for the decision, adding “he has kept his word”.

Senior police officers who spoke to this newspaper said they were surprised Mr Falzon had returned to the force.

“While we have nothing against Mr Falzon, we really cannot understand how it is possible that a person who publicly derides his superiors is reinstated in the force. One can only imagine the example being given to Mr Falzon’s fellow police officers,” a senior officer said.

“All the best people of the force have now left. See who is replacing them,” another one said.

According to information supplied by the Home Affairs Ministry, 82 officers have been reinstated in the police force since Labour returned to power in 2013. Six of them were promoted immediately to a higher rank, and 18 have already resigned, leaving with a better pension, because it was adjusted to the most recent salary scale.

ivan.camilleri@timesofmalta.com