Former police inspector Daniel Zammit was certified unfit for police duties by the psychiatry medical board, The Sunday Times of Malta has learnt.

The 35-year-old son of former acting police commissioner Ray Zammit was boarded out on medical grounds on April 21, together with another 12 civil servants from different government departments.

The difference was that he was certified within a few days of his application, when the process usually takes months.

A former police officer who spoke to this newspaper said he had had to wait a year before a decision was taken on his case.

Mr Zammit, on the other hand, immediately landed a €60,000 consultancy job with Enemalta, which sparked an irate reaction from Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi who deemed the appointment “unacceptable” and immediately ordered the State company’s chairman to terminate the contract.

There has also been criticism that although Mr Zammit was boarded out for psychiatric reasons, the job he landed at Enemalta was similar in nature.

Before joining the energy company he had been part of the police force’s Economic Crimes Unit, investigating and prosecuting fraud, such as in the case of the smart meter tampering by consumers to avoid hefty electricity bills.

‘Speedy decision result of efficiency’

The €60,000 consultancy job he was given at Enemalta was with the State company’s internal audit department, which conducts investigative work.

Meanwhile, sources told The Sunday Times of Malta that medical board coordinator Jesmond Baldacchino categorically denied any favouritism in Mr Zammit’s case, saying the speedy decision was the result of efficiency.

The board hearing scheduled last April could take in more people so Mr Zammit’s request was incorporated into the next session as was normal practice, sources said.

Mr Baldacchino did not know Mr Zammit, nor the fact that his father was former acting police commissioner Ray Zammit.

The former acting commissioner has another son in the police force – Roderick Zammit – and all three were involved as shareholders in companies with the Gaffarena family.

Mark Gaffarena has been at the centre of a political storm since the controversial expropriation of a Valletta property by the government that made him a millionaire within a few weeks.

The Nationalist Party yesterday called for an inquiry into business relations between the Zammits and Gaffarenas, particularly since the former police inspector was entrusted with an investigation into a murder involving the Gaffarena family at the time (see box).

Police officers are not permitted to carry out other work unless they have prior permission from the Police Commissioner.

When Mr Zammit was contacted by this newspaper he said he did not wish to comment “at this point”.

Nationalist Party demands inquiry into Gaffarena-Zammit links

The Opposition is demanding an independent investigation into how the son of former police acting police commissioner Ray Zammit had investigated a murder with alleged links to Gaffarena family when he was in business with them.

This, the Nationalist Party said, could possibly be a case of corruption. Beppe Fenech Adami and Jason Azzopardi, shadow ministers for home affairs and for justice respectively, told a press conference there had been total silence from the government since details started to emerge.

“It is essential to re-establish public confidence in the police force,” Dr Fenech Adami said, adding that the former acting police commissioner had to be removed from all posts he was recently given.

Dr Azzopardi said the government had appointed Ray Zammit – who was removed as acting police commissioner last year following a shooting incident involving the driver of former home affairs minister Manuel Mallia – as Director of Prisons and now head of the new agency in charge of the wardens system.

Mr Zammit and his sons were involved in business with Joe Gaffarena, whose son Mark is at the centre of the Old Mint Street expropriation case.

Joe Gaffarena, who was granted a permit by the government for a controversial fuel station in Qormi, is the father-in-law of a defendant accused of murdering another man.

The prosecution in this case was led by Ray Zammit’s son, Inspector Daniel Zammit, who, together with his brother, was also involved in business with Joe Gaffarena. The court case, lasting several years, is being heard behind closed doors.

Reacting, the government said it had consulted the Attorney General on the way forward but pointed out it had occurred under the former administration.