AG withdraws case against arrested assistant police commissioner

Attorney General Victoria Buttigieg quietly withdrew the case against Assistant Police Commissioner Malcolm Bondin, recently arrested over the theft of seized car parts.

Bondin’s case is now set to be heard before the Public Service Commission on Monday.

The Shift is in a position to exclusively publish photographic evidence of Bondin’s misappropriation of spare parts from an impounded vehicle, raising serious questions about why the Attorney General opted to shelve a confirmed case of aggravated theft committed by a public official from a secured police compound.

Previously, the police force had refused to disclose any information about the outcome of its investigation into the allegations when they first surfaced.

Bondin stole parts from the front bumper section of an impounded silver BMW (as seen in the picture above) to replace the damaged front end of his dark blue Series 5 E60. Following the discovery of the theft, Bondin was forced to replace the parts he misappropriated.

Sources with direct knowledge of the proceedings told The Shift that Bondin, who also heads the police’s Organised Crime Unit, had admitted to the theft when he was first interrogated by two fellow Assistant Commissioners and his boss, Police Commissioner Angelo Gafa’.

Despite Bondin’s admission in November, the Assistant Commissioner was not suspended from the force but merely placed on leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

The police force had refused to answer The Shift’s questions about the outcome of this investigation, issuing only a vague public statement that an official was under investigation and on forced leave, without mentioning Bondin’s name.

Given that the Attorney General has opted not to prosecute Bondin, the Assistant Commissioner is set to avoid any criminal repercussions for the theft and may possibly even be reinstated by the Public Service Commission.

The track record of the Commission, which is supposed to be an independent disciplinary body for public officials, does not inspire much confidence.

In April 2024, shortly before local council and MEP elections, the Commission lifted the suspension of 36 public officials facing criminal proceedings, reinstating them all to full pay while they faced charges in court.

One insider familiar with Bondin’s case pointed out how, while the Assistant Commissioner is set to get away scot-free, a police superintendent who allegedly stole a pair of boots from the police’s headquarters in Floriana was immediately suspended.

“So we have one officer who took a pair of work boots who got suspended immediately, while an Assistant Commissioner who could be charged with committing a serious crime he was supposed to prevent, is just going to get to pretend that nothing happened,” he added.