If John Le Carré, the British novelist and author of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, among many others, is watching, he has a plot for a new novel. It would be a best seller.
On the island of Malta, there’s a mole at the police force leaking the ‘findings’ of the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder investigation to the foreign press. The Maltese media outlets – there are no fewer than 10 outlets – have no choice but to repeat what their Italian counterparts report.
The police commissioner – yes, we have one – is nowhere to be seen, or heard.
No press conferences, no statements from Lawrence Cutajar, no updates.
Not that I expect the police force to spill the beans on the investigations at hand. That could seriously prejudice the investigations now that three men have been arraigned, and a compilation of evidence to start within days. But the leak from within the investigations to the foreign press, that too could seriously jeopardise investigations.
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Cutajar made a brief appearance when a major police operation was underway to arrest the suspected men – not to inform the media of the developments, the Prime Minister did that, but to hand out certificates of enrolment to previously retired police officers. The stuff of real fiction.
Journalists went to Cutajar’s outing with piles of questions to ask – not on the new recruits, for who cares, really – but on the happenings in Marsa that same morning. But, Cutajar had other plans.
He pulled a (Joseph) Muscat – when the Panama Papers scandal was unfolding on Daphne Caruana Galizia’s door – and escaped through the back door.
In a normal country – forget it, that ship has long sailed – the police commissioner would have: addressed the media himself, informing them of the arrests; kept the media informed of the developments without disclosing any evidence which might prejudice investigations; ordered an inquiry into the leaks to the foreign press; and informed the local media of its findings.
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Nothing. And don’t hold your breath, for the situation is truly desperate.
As for the Prime Minister, he had an excellent opportunity to show that the police force is autonomous, and that the police commissioner is his own man.
Muscat would have none of that though.
The police are not at the Prime Minister’s command
He called a press conference while armed police officers and soldiers were arresting hardened criminals in Marsa.
In the first place, and considering the sensitivity of the case – Daphne Caruana Galizia was a harsh critic of his government, and although no one is alleging that his government killed her, however, at this early stage of the proceedings prudence should have taken the better of him.
Instead, Muscat took centre stage.
Secondly, the police force is not under his command – it is the police commissioner who should have been in his place.
Cutajar had an opportunity to show that he is his own man and to prove his critics wrong. In true fashion, he fudged it.
Yet again, he failed miserably. I hate to say it for, from what I’m often told, Cutajar is a decent man, but it is now screamingly obvious that he does not have what it takes to lead the Police Force.
And no, even if the three men arrested and arraigned in court and, eventually, we hope, the mastermind behind the murder – and punished for his/their acts – this does not justify Cutajar’s position at the helm of the Police Force.
Leaders are meant show leadership.
The Police Force has capable investigators to get to the bottom of things – which they do and, at its helm, a police commissioner to lead it.
In this respect, Cutajar fails, time and again. A police commissioner worth his salt would have taken centre stage, and, not least, informed the Caruana Galizia family of the developments instead of them having to hear it from the Prime Minister’s press conference.
The police are not at the Prime Minister’s command. Indeed, we pay a police commissioner to do that. The Police Force has to be autonomous from government for it to function properly. That is the crux of the debate we have on the rule of law in Malta.
Instead, we have a police commissioner who hands certificates while a major police operation is under way; a Prime Minister who takes centre stage – when the police commissioner should have done so himself – and a mole at the Police Force.
John Le Carré would have a field day.
Frank Psaila is a lawyer and anchors Iswed fuq l-Abjad on NET TV.