Some of the highest and most experienced police officers have resigned in what is being described as an unprecedented mass exodus.

The Times Of Malta is informed that Deputy Police Commissioner Pierre Calleja has called it a day and two Assistant Police Commissioners, Antoine Casha and Norbert Ciappara, have also resigned.

Other assistant police commissioners are also toying with the idea of leaving the force, sources close to the forces of law and order say.

Other senior officers, including superintendents and inspectors, have also stepped down. Some of them have already moved to greener pastures. These include superintendents Josef Petroni, Sharon Tanti, Martin Bayliss and Michael Mallia and inspectors Pierre Grech, Sylvana Briffa, Marisa Zammit and Rosanne Debattista.

Recent controversies a possible cause

The police force has had four police commissioners in the past two and a half years. Photo: Jason Borg

The reasons for this exodus are unclear, but the sources have indicated recent controversies involving the police are a possible cause.

“Some of the resignations were expected because the officials involved have been in the force for a long time and would want a change in their career or lifestyle,” a senior police officer told this newspaper. “However, the force is not passing through the best of times and this would have definitely pushed some of the senior officers to make the final decision to leave,” he added.

The police force has been in turmoil for the past two and a half years, having had no fewer than four police commissioners in that period.

The force is not passing through the best of times

Police commissioner John Rizzo was replaced by Peter Paul Sammut soon after the 2013 election, but he only lasted a year in office. He was succeeded by Ray Zammit, who was appointed acting police commissioner. But he did not last long either and returned to his former rank of deputy police commissioner after an inquiry into a shooting incident, involving former home affairs minister Manuel Mallia’s driver, found him guilty of “gross negligence”.

The 58-year-old head of the Security Service, Michael Cassar, a former senior police officer, was appointed in his place and has been heading the force since last December.

Just a few weeks ago, an inquiry found that Ray Zammit and his two inspector sons, one of whom has since left the force, were involved in “dangerous” business liaisons with “dubious” nightclub owner Hugo Chetcuti as well as the Gaffarena family. Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela declared recently that the police force would fail a public trust poll and promised he would turn things around.

ivan.camilleri@timesofmalta.com