An internal investigation into Police Inspector Roderick Zammit’s business interests was launched earlier this week and is looking into companies he set up with his brother, Daniel, Times of Malta has learnt.

When the investigation was launched, Roderick Zammit was transferred from the money laundering unit to the Ħamrun police station, sources said. The decision was motivated by the fact that the unit handled sensitive information, the sources added.

He was due to start working in Ħamrun yesterday but he reported sick. He had just returned to duty having been on sick leave, which coincided with the time details emerged on the media about his brother and father, former acting police commissioner Ray Zammit, about private business, the sources said.

The two brothers and their father had formed commercial companies with Joe Gaffarena. Police regulations prohibit members of the force from being involved in any business, which is considered a violation of duty. Police officers are obliged to devote their whole time to their work.

Daniel Zammit, himself a police inspector until a few weeks ago, is the subject of an inquiry ordered by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat who appointed Judge Michael Mallia to investigate his role in the investigation of Neville Baldacchino’s murder in December 2008.

When Daniel Zammit was tasked with investigating the murder, he had business connections with Mr Gaffarena, whose son-in-law, Stephen Caruana, was a suspect.

The two brothers and their father had formed commercial companies with Joe Gaffarena

Mr Baldacchino was allegedly having an affair with Mr Gaffarena’s daughter.

Daniel Zammit was recently boarded out for psychiatric reasons and given a pension, only for him to be given a consultancy job with Enemalta’s internal audit unit.

That contract has since been terminated on the orders of the Energy Minister who said it was “unacceptable” for the former officer to be given a €60,000 contract with the State company. The decision was taken after the matter was raised in Parliament by the Opposition.

Ray Zammit, who remained director of prisons after resigning as Deputy Police Commissioner to head a new agency handling the wardens system, also held shares in the businesses his sons had with Mr Gaffarena, linked to the controversial petrol station in Qormi largely built without permits. He owned the shares before he became acting police commissioner last year. His shares and those of his sons were transferred to Jane Zammit, the former acting police commissioner’s wife, in June last year, according to records held by the Malta Financial Services Authority.

While the two brothers are undergoing investigations, it is not yet known whether their father would be investigated too.

Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela was repeatedly asked whether Ray Zammit would be retaining his present posts in the circumstances but no reply was received.

When Times of Malta contacted the Zammit brothers, they said they did not wish to comment.