The police sent the following reply to the article in yesterday’s Times of Malta entitled ‘Police serve guests at minister’s banquet

“The Police Force is being constrained to answer to unjust criticism and one which shows lack of respect towards the dignity of work in itself. This constraint arises because it is not within its remit nor its wishes to enter into any form of tittle-tattle with individuals or institutions; however the inexactitudes, fact twisting and disparaging terms used, leave the Police Force no option but to reply.

“Let it be clarified from the outset that the ministry has never sent for any policeman or group of policemen and ordered them to carry out any other work as alleged. This allegation is an untruth as the policemen involved gave their services on a voluntary (and extra-pay) basis after a call was sent out (as is the procedure) and a number of individuals opted not to participate.

“The so called ‘order’ is an internal mechanism whereby notice of temporary change of shift or duties is notified back to the respective stations. And it has nothing to do with the natural terms of the word ‘order’ implying doing something which is contrary to one’s wishes. Equally no policeman was ‘ordered’ to leave their station.

“In its 199 years of service the Police Force in Malta has served food to its members, to the highest dignitaries visiting Malta, and in time of need to the whole Maltese populace; a tradition we are proud of.

“The Police Force is made up of people from all walks of life with a very wide capacity base.

“It is good management to absorb and refine these particular capacities adapting them to the needs of the Police Force and there is nothing at all degrading either in itself or inherently in work ethics associated in the serving as a waiter.”

Editor’s note: Times of Malta sent a number of questions to the police on Friday which were not answered. The above reply – which we ourselves had requested before publication and which in any case has no bearing on the veracity of the story that was carried – was not received until yesterday evening.

There was no “fact twisting” and, most certainly, no “disparaging terms” were used. Moreover, it is incorrect to equate the word “order” with being made to do something against one’s wishes. It is simply a command from those of higher rank – who, surely, do not make requests to their subordinates.

See also - Mifsud Bonnici: no external police waiters on my watch http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130630/local/Mifsud-Bonnici-no-external-police-waiters-on-my-watch.475927