Ian Abdilla, the disgraced assistant commissioner of police who in 2021 was suspended from the force for allegedly failing to act on investigations involving the highest echelons of the Labour government, is still receiving half his salary, The Shift is informed.
Police sources told The Shift that Abdilla, suspended last August pending investigations, including of a criminal nature, did not resign nor was he sacked from the force: “Abdilla was suspended on half-pay and is still in that same position.”
“While he is currently facing disciplinary proceedings before the Public Service Commission (PSC), no criminal charges have ever been filed against him despite the conclusions of the inquiry on the Daphne Caruana Galizia assassination.”
A spokesman for Police Commissioner Angelo Gafa refused to give details when asked to state Abdilla’s current position in the force and whether any investigation into his possible complicity in crime has been concluded.
Citing “data protection rights”, the spokesman said no information about Abdilla can be released.
Abdilla, who in 2015, as the head of the Economic Crimes Unit, oversaw investigations regarding the Panama Papers and the involvement of then OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri and former minister Konrad Mizzi, was suspended from the force by Commissioner Gafa in August 2021.
His suspension arrived days after the conclusions of the public inquiry by three Judges in which they pointed at Abdilla’s failure to investigate the crimes allegedly committed by the highest officials in government.
Abdilla had admitted in court that during the investigations he used to have meetings with Schembri in which ongoing investigations were discussed. The inquiry mentions Abdilla’s inaction dozens of times.
Abdilla admitted to the board of inquiry that he had failed to act on any of the Panama Papers revelations and did not question those at the helm of government.
During the time of the Panama Papers ‘investigations’ between 2015 and 2017, Abdilla was given several promotions, moving from the rank of inspector to assistant commissioner in less than two years.
During the time, Abdilla had also taken the lead on the Egrant inquiry implicating disgraced former prime minister Joseph Muscat in the Panama Papers scandal.
The inquiry had found that neither Muscat nor his wife, Michelle, owned the Panama-based money laundering financial vehicle set up on the same day and through the same advisors that had set up identical companies for Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi.
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Again and again we say that we have a democracy in Malta.
Democracy means openness, honesty and moving forward together.
I don’t see any MORE of that here.
Malta is in fact a kind of dictatorship.
One says and all kowtow.
It is so cuddled and tricked at the expense of the people!
So sad for us.
So good for people like Abdilla.
But time will change.
‘The inquiry had found that neither Muscat nor his wife, Michelle, owned the Panama-based money laundering financial vehicle’ This statement is incorrect.
The inquiry did not uncover evidence to determine that Egrant was beneficially owned by the Muscats – since it could not establish who Egrant’s beneficial owners were.
Thus in actual fact, the jury is still out.
I’m sorry but the closing sentence is factually incorrect. It should read …
“… The inquiry could not establish the ownership of the Panama-based money laundering financial vehicle….”
You can also add
“… NexiaBT partner, Karl Cini, who set up the vehicle, refused to divulge the beneficial owner of the vehicle even though he is obliged, at law to divulge the ownership if asked by the authorities. Strangely, no action has ever been taken against Cini or the managing partner of NexiaBT, Brian Tonna, in relation to Egrant”.
Just a reminder, there are 37 crooked motorcycle policemen also suspended on pay awaiting criminal charges that Mr Gafa has ignored yet again.
A police chief who protects the criminals is not a police chief, it is a criminal who belongs in court.
Continuity. SHAME ON THIS CORRUPT MUVUMENT.
Meanwhile road casualties are increasing – injuries, maiming and death. What does Mr Gafa intend to do to protect the Maltese public from these rising dangers? Does he accept responsibility?
This is RULE OF LAW MALTA STYLE. European Parlament PLEASE NOTE
Abdilla seems to have also hijacked the Egrant Inquiry, and neither the AG, nor the Police, nor magistrate Bugeja, recalled the Inquiry to be opened once again, with new information regarding at the least, the conclusions on the signature of Jaqueline Alexander, on the declarations of trust for both nominee shareholders, that is Aliator and Dubro.