A parliamentary motion presented by the Opposition yesterday calls on the government to publish the findings of two inquiries involving the police.
Though both inquiries were concluded months ago, Home Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia has resisted calls for their publication, saying he was still studying them.
Opposition home affairs spokesman Jason Azzopardi said when presenting the motion that the findings were being “hidden” and called on Parliament to censure Dr Mallia’s behaviour.
The motion says the government is “obliged” to be accountable and not conceal any shortcomings that threatened fundamental rights.
The first probe was ordered in September last year after the wrong man was arraigned over a hold-up at a Birkirkara confectionery. Police Inspector Elton Taliana, who arraigned the correct suspect, was then chastised by the Police Board for failing to alert his chain of command about a mistake made by the Criminal Investigation Department.
Former police commissioner Peter Paul Zammit had promised that the findings would be published to “put people’s mind at rest”, the motion notes.
The second inquiry was ordered in June and looked into Mr Zammit’s decision to drop charges against a man who had allegedly assaulted four officers at the Żabbar police station. The board of inquiry headed by Judge Franco Depasquale handed in the report at the end of July.