Angelo Gafa’ doubles his income as allowances surpass his salary

Police chief Angelo Gafa’s income has more than doubled in two years due to a raft of government allowances added to his salary.

While the Police Commissioner has been attempting to hide his new financial package for months, using legal delaying tactics to provide a copy of his contract to The Shift, new information tabled in parliament following pressure by PN MP David Agius outed his new financial arrangements.

According to the data, Angelo Gafa’, who has been harshly criticised by the Opposition and NGOs, accusing him of being in the government’s pockets, now earns a total of €107,438 a year if all his allowances are approved at the end of every year.

Apart from his basic wage pegged to scale 2 of the civil service grades, which in 2023 stood at €45,936, the government has granted him a raft of allowances to double his annual financial package.

In a clear attempt to avoid disturbing the relativity of other civil service grades, the government gave Gafa’ a staggering €61,502 in allowances instead of increasing his salary.

The allowances compensate for disturbance, transport, responsibility, training, performance, and others that are usualt part of the police commissioner’s job description.

While the Commissioner is legally obliged to act independently from the government in his work, he depends on the government to approve most of his newly acquired allowances.

In an interview with The Shift in July 2022, Gafa’ said that his job income amounted to €50,200 or €3,900 every four weeks. The new data also reveals that Gafa’ doubled his income in just two years.

In the report by The Shift, which questioned how he could afford a newly acquired villa in Marsaxlokk, bought at € 885,000, Gafa’ disclosed that his wife, Police Inspector Sylvana Gafa’, brought home another €2,985 every four weeks or €38,805 a year.

Just a few months ago, the Commissioner’s wife was promoted to Superintendent, and her income could rise to €71,611 a year if all her allowances are approved.

It was her husband, the police commissioner, who approved her promotion.

The police’s ‘power couple’ can now earn €179,049 a year, or €15,000 a month, from government coffers.

Prime Minister Robert Abela appointed Gafa’ police commissioner in June 2020. His appointment was renewed last summer despite opposition from the PN and NGOs, who made it clear they had no confidence in him.