Gafa’ overruled as overtime racket police officers to be reinstated

Several police officers from the traffic section who were suspended in 2020 on half pay and charged in court over their alleged involvement in an overtime racket are expected to rejoin the force soon.

This decision follows a directive from the Office of the Prime Minister, The Shift is informed.

Despite facing intense political pressure, Police Commissioner Angelo Gafa’ has resisted the move. However, the Permanent Secretary of the Office of the Prime Minister, Joyce Cassar, who oversees human resources, has informed several suspended officers that arrangements are being made for their imminent reinstatement.

Sources close to Police Headquarters have revealed that the OPM has been urging Gafa’ to allow the officers to return, citing that too much time has elapsed since the incident and that the court has found many of the officers not guilty. Nevertheless, Gafa’ has maintained that these officers should not be reintegrated into the police force but rather reassigned to alternative roles within the public service.

In a display of political expediency, Prime Minister Robert Abela has now instructed his Permanent Secretary to initiate the process of reinstating all those officers who wish to return to the traffic section.

In 2020, following an internal investigation prompted by a whistleblower, approximately 40 traffic section officers were arrested and suspended. Many of them were later charged with fraud for claiming thousands of hours of overtime they did not actually work. The accused included senior officials of the traffic section, such as a superintendent and inspectors, who allegedly not only were aware of the racket but also organised it.

In court, it was claimed that these officers submitted overtime sheets reflecting hundreds of hours they had not worked over a three-year period.

The investigation was later expanded to include other sections of the police force where similar irregularities were suspected. Additionally, there were claims that some officers fraudulently used police fuel for their private vehicles.

In many cases, the charges against the arraigned police officers were dismissed by the court due to a lack of evidence presented by the prosecution. Other officers, including those slated for reinstatement, are still awaiting a final judgment.

This is not the first time the OPM has intervened to reinstate suspended officials accused of serious crimes.

Just before the June MEP elections, the OPM ordered Clint Axisa—a senior public officer facing charges of sexual harassment at Transport Malta—to be reassigned to a new position at Infrastructure Malta. Similar actions occurred for other public officers still facing criminal charges.

Furthermore, the government has announced that regulations will be amended to ensure that the suspension of public officers accused of criminal activities is no longer automatic but discretionary.

This change was employed to keep top civil servants, such as former Permanent Secretaries Ronald Mizzi and Joe Rapa—accused in connection with the Vitals deal—retained on the government payroll with all their benefits intact.

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simon oosterman
simon oosterman
21 days ago

Impunity for all!

KLAUS
KLAUS
21 days ago

Let‘s face it: The ROOBER Abela says what his police commissioner Gafa has to do.Puppet on the strings.

Separation of powers, what does that mean? Probably not much here in Malta.

What we really need is an anti-corruption ministry, better today than yesterday, so that these special ministers or Prime Minister finally have to abide by law and order.

Someone
Someone
20 days ago
Reply to  KLAUS

An Anti corruption Ministry will not help. It will actually help them hide the corruption going on even more.

KLAUS
KLAUS
20 days ago
Reply to  Someone

Thank you. However, I think different. From there to jail is just a small step. Even they are puppets. A very small step.

Toni Borg
Toni Borg
19 days ago
Reply to  KLAUS

Under lejber, he will be more corrupt than any of the other ministers 😂😂

chris
chris
21 days ago

These guys keep on playing mind games with themselves. A form of cerebral masturbation.

Citizen Gahan
Citizen Gahan
21 days ago

Even reassigning the thieving bunch to alternative roles within the public service is critical in regards to the Good Governance that Abela is theatrically bragging about all the time. Letting them back into policing us law abiding and tax paying citizens is yet another level. But in a country where the rule of law is a mere theoretical concept nothing surprises.

Carmelo borg
21 days ago

INSOMMA PAJJIZ TAL MICKY MOUSE
JEKK MA KIENX HEMM PROVI BIZZEJJED GHALFEJN GHAMILTU LIL DAWN IL HADDIEMA HARUF TAS SAGRIFICJU U LIL FAMILILI TAHGHOM.
GHARA FIL KAS TA BERNICE CASSAR LI KIENET MARRET B IL LEJL QABELMA GIET MAQTULA TIRRAPORTA U KIEN HEMM MIN NAQAS MINN DMIRU DAK MA GARA XEJN.

Antonio Ghisleri
Antonio Ghisleri
21 days ago

What a sorry state! Instead of leading by example and raising standards, the government changes the goal posts to accommodate permanent secretaries and other officials, ensuring that they continue to cover up for their masters. Time was when permanent secretaries were the best advisers to ministers and parliamentary secretaries on both policy and management issues. Today they have been reduced to rubber stamps.

carlos
20 days ago

they have been reduced to professional and corrupt dishonoured people.

Bamboccu
Bamboccu
20 days ago

Mhux hekk mela Ronald Mizzi jibqa’ jiehu l paga biz zieda kollha filwaqt li haddiema EX AIRMALTA jibqaw bla collective agreement.
# GOV.MT
# RSSL
# GWU

Osservatore
Osservatore
20 days ago

Moral of the story. It pays to be a crook under labour. There are indeed crooks everywhere you look!

Lawrence Mifsud
Lawrence Mifsud
20 days ago

Is-Sena tal-Gubilew: imma l- Indulgentia Plenaria ma tiswiex jekk ma tindimx u trodd lura dak li sraqt!

Joe Bloggs
Joe Bloggs
20 days ago

All their benefits and loyalties intact.

Anne R. key
Anne R. key
19 days ago

Clint Axisa, is completely illiterate, yet he has been assigned the role of Health & Safety Officer (senior management) within Infrastructure Malta, without ANY competence in the field …..!

Mario Galea
Mario Galea
19 days ago

Dawn ressquwhom biex jaghmlu show biz-zghir meta kienu jafu li ma kienx hemm provi biex il-poplu jinsa x’qed jaghmel il-kbir (minghalikom). U Dan min meta l-PM jaqbez il-qorti? Dawn misshom ma tressqu qatt u minflok is-sur Gafa ressaq lil min kellu jressaq fuq is-serq sfaccat min flus il-poplu

Toni Borg
Toni Borg
19 days ago

It’s amazing how this government is solely working to keep those in default on its books….i guess it’s panic mode for Robert Abela as he continues to lose votes!!!

Mick
Mick
19 days ago

Just another day in Mafialand

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