The government said this evening it was committed to publish two inquiries related to the police after the Opposition this morning presented a motion calling for their publication.

The motion was presented by Opposition spokesman for Home Affairs Jason Azzopardi.

The inquiries were concluded in the past months.

The first inquiry was ordered in September 2013 following a police blunder which led to the wrong man being arraigned over a hold-up at a Birkirkara confectionery. The report was presented that same month.

The Opposition motion noted that former commissioner Peter Paul Zammit had, on September 3 last year, promised that the findings would be published to “put people’s mind at rest”.

The second probe was ordered last June and looked into a decision by Mr Zammit to drop charges against a man who had allegedly assaulted four officers at the Żabbar police station. It was completed in July.

A ministry spokeswoman had told Times of Malta the inquiry would be published but later Dr Mallia said that no decision on whether or not to publish had yet been taken.

It transpired that the findings of these inquires were being “hidden” and that  Home Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia was bringing up excuses not to release their contents, the motion said.

The Opposition is also calling for Parliament to censure Dr Mallia’s behaviour.

The motion can be read in the pdf link below.

In a statement this evening the government said it was committed to publish the motions as had been declared on several occasions by the Home Affairs Minister unlike what used to happen in the previous administration.