Farrugia does not say whether commissioner should go, but says new PM will decide
Home Affairs Minister Michael Falzon would not say whether he thinks the police commissioner should go, only saying that it will be up to the next prime minister to decide.
The minister was asked by The Malta Independent whether he will continue to vouch for Police Commissioner Lawrence Cutajar given the calls for his removal and the fact that both PL leadership contenders have suggested they would replace him. The minister then avoided the question.
Farrugia said: “I think that the police have continuously conducted their investigations pari passu with Europol. Europol was part of the investigations and worked hand-in-hand with the police, and so where the investigations come in, one can say that they were conducted together. For this reason, on my part, I will say that the police did most of their work well, so much so that they were praised by the EU delegation that was in Malta,” he said.
Told by this newsroom that he did not answer the question, and that he was asked specifically about the police commissioner and again asked whether he stands by him, the minister said: “I think one awaits for the trust that there would be of the prime minister elected. I leave it in the hands of the prime minister who has the authority to leave the commissioner or decide whether that police commissioner is to be removed. What I can say is that we have an entity that was praised by the delegation of MEPs who came to Malta, who said that the police did their work well in their investigation into the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, which involved Europol. The commissioner and investigators, at opportune times, had immediately asked for help from the Dutch scene of crime unit and the FBI.”
He said that the police and all entities that were part of the investigation had been successful .
Told that the lead investigator Keith Arnaud told a court yesterday that Dr Adrian Vella had passed a note to Yorgen Fenech from Keith Schembri, he was asked why nobody was charged over it. “One has to let the investigations take place. Eventually, we need to see if the declarations made are real. Eventually, if they are real, then steps will be taken. If they are found not to be real, steps will be taken against those who made false declarations.” He clarified that the lead inspector was testifying about what others had told him.
Asked about the Egrant forged documents, and what action was being taken, the minister said that investigations were still ongoing. “Every time I spoke in Parliament
and was asked, I have always said that it is not enough for there to be an allegation, but you need concrete evidence. In the murder of Caruana
Galizia there were indications and, when there was concrete evidence, people were arraigned for their alleged involvement. With Egrant, it will be the same thing, as it is in every case investigated.” He stressed the need in all cases for concrete evidence for action to be taken.