Police scandal: Only an independent investigation will do

Just when we all thought that the reputation of the police force could not sink any lower, it did.

A Lovin Malta interview with two police officers implicated in the notorious Traffic Branch scandal has continued to uncover the alleged corruption that permeates through all levels of the force.

The officers, who spoke under condition of anonymity, claimed that some of the wrongdoings they committed were done under instructions by their superiors, including some of the people who are now tasked with investigating the scandal.

They also spoke of direct political interference. “We used to forgive tickets upon requests of ministers, ministries, from both political parties… we forgave a lot of tickets, even belonging to officers. They forced us to. There’s a reason they don’t want to arrange the system and leave us with a biro and paper,” one of the officers said.

“And some of the officers who investigated us would often ask us to forgive tickets themselves. We have records in the mobiles they took from us. They have no shame.”

They also pointed their fingers at Acting Commissioner Carmelo Magri, who told The Malta Independent on Sunday a few weeks ago that the scandal was “a stab in the back.”

Magri, they said, had urged officers to “stick with the Labour Party.” They also pointed out that he had previously been in charge of the Traffic Section, arguing that this made him “complicit.”

Earlier this year, this newsroom had reported how a whistleblower had blown the lid on the scandal in October but it took the police a full two months to launch an investigation. The claims ranged from overtime abuse to fuel theft.

Up to forty officers had been suspended pending the investigation, paralysing the section, and a number of Traffic Branch senior officers had resigned in the wake of the scandal.

The police force had said that many of the officers were on police bail and that the investigations were ongoing. The Home Affairs Ministry had assured that the allegations were being investigated and that those who broke the law would face justice. But several months down the line, not a single officer has been charged in court.

This is highly suspicious, given that the officers who were interviewed this week practically admitted that irregularities were being committed. They admitted, for example that there was “a lot of abuse” on extra duties, but this did not only happen at the Traffic Branch.

Now, one has to be careful of these claims. One can easily argue that these officers have every reason to smear their colleagues – the ‘if you go down, I’ll take you with me’ mentality.

But this does not mean that what they’re saying is untrue.

What is clear about this whole mess is that the police cannot investigate the police, because it seems that the force is compromised at every level.

All claims should be investigated properly, not just the allegations involving the traffic branch. But the investigation needs to be an independent one – it cannot be led by people who are also facing claims of wrongdoing.

There were instances in the past, where serious claims made against police officers were investigated by an independent inquiry. This includes the case of Nicholas Azzopardi, who died while under police custody.

An independent or a magisterial inquiry might be a good place to start but, given the circumstances of this case and the sheer number of people involved, this might not be enough. Inquiry boards do not have wide investigative powers, and they will have to rely on testimony and evidence provided by people who might also be implicated in the scandals.

Perhaps this is a job for foreign investigators who have no connection or sympathy towards the people who committed these alleged crimes. This cannot be a whitewashing exercise – it needs to be a truly impartial investigation carried out without fear or favour. And it cannot stop there, once the conclusions are out, swift action needs to be taken the authorities must mete out justice.

The police force cannot take any more hits. Action must be taken now, and it must be credible and convincing.