Home Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia insisted yesterday that the findings of two inquiries into controversial police investigations concluded months ago will be published, although no date has yet been given.
Probes were ordered to determine why assault charges were dropped against a man who allegedly attacked police and to get to the bottom of a mishandled arraignment following a confectionery hold-up.
When Times of Malta had asked about the outcomes earlier this month, the minister was unclear on whether they would be made public despite earlier promises to publish them.
Asked about the issue yesterday, the minister made a commitment.
“I assure you there are valid reasons why these two inquiries are still being analysed. I assure you both of them will be published,” Dr Mallia said.
He said he could not understand why such a fuss was being created as this was not the first time inquiries had spent a period of time under consideration.
He referred to an inquiry conducted under the last Nationalist administration over an irregular immigrant who was found dead, pointing out its conclusions had never been published.
One inquiry whose findings are “being analysed” relates to former police commissioner Peter Paul Zammit’s decision to drop charges against a man who had allegedly assaulted four officers at the Żabbar police station last year.
The inquiry was concluded at the end of July and the report was submitted to the minister.
I assure you that both of them will be published
When Times of Malta spoke to Dr Mallia last month about its findings, he said a decision on whether to publish would be taken when the conclusions were evaluated.
The other inquiry was ordered in September 2013 following a police blunder that led to the wrong man being arraigned over a hold-up at a Birkirkara confectionery. The incident involved Police Inspector Elton Taliana, who arraigned the right man, but was then chastised by the Police Board for failing to alert his chain of command about a mistake made by the Criminal Investigations Department.
The case involved Darryl Luke Borg, 27, who was remanded in custody after being charged with the hold-up. Two days later the mistake came to light when Inspector Taliana arraigned Roderick Grech, who later pleaded guilty and was given a suspended sentence.
In the wake of the embarrassing incident, then police commissioner Peter Paul Zammit ordered an internal inquiry and instructed the board to present its report two weeks later.
On September 3 last year, Times of Malta had quoted him saying the findings would be made public to put people’s mind at rest.
Sources said the inquiry had been concluded on time, but so far it has not been disclosed.