Assistant police commissioner Antoine Casha has asked a court to issue a warrant of prohibitory injunction to stop the appointment of a new deputy commissioner of police.

Mr Casha had placed fourth among five applicants after the applications were considered by a selection board in December.

His request for a breakdown of the result by category was denied by the board, headed by the Police Commissioner Lawrence Cutajar.

Mr Casha said he had filed a petition before the Public Service Commission (PSC) but this was also rejected, and he was asked to supply "additional material facts" to support his claim. Yet the material facts requested by the PSC were the very facts which he was requesting access to in his petition to the Commission.

His request to produce witnesses and to make submissions before the PSC had also been rejected without a valid reason.

Mr Casha said the PSC had acted in a manner that was anything but "equitable, just, impartial, competent and transparent," and his right to a fair hearing had violated .

Lawyers Ian Spiteri Bailey and Victoria Cuschieri signed the warrant.