‘Rogue’ Assistant Commissioner now in charge of half of Malta’s police districts

Assistant Police Commissioner Malcolm Bondin, who was previously arrested over the theft of car parts from an impounded vehicle stored in a police compound, will now be in charge of half of all police districts in Malta.

Instead of facing charges for aggravated theft, Bondin will be calling the shots at police stations in Valletta, Ħamrun, Paola, Bormla, Żejtun, and Qormi, which altogether are responsible for maintaining law and order in 31 localities across the island.

On Sunday, The Shift exclusively published photographic evidence of Bondin’s theft. In spite of clear evidence of the Assistant Commissioner’s misappropriation, Police Commissioner Angelo Gafa’ refuses to respond to questions about why Bondin was allowed to get away scot-free and reassigned to a role with such a significant level of responsibility.

Previously, Bondin held the role of head of the police force’s Organised Crime Unit. Bondin was removed from this role and reassigned to Region A, which is the police’s official term for the six districts outlined above.

To make matters worse, Attorney General Victoria Buttigieg declined to prosecute Bondin, effectively meaning that the only disciplinary body that the Assistant Commissioner is going to face is the Public Service Commission (PSC).

While Bondin’s disciplinary hearing in front of the PSC was meant to be held on Monday morning, The Shift is informed that the hearing was postponed following publication of Sunday’s story. The PSC is yet to answer questions about why the hearing was postponed.

Given that Bondin reported for his new assignment the same day he was supposed to face the PSC, it is apparent that the Assistant Commissioner’s brief period of forced leave following initial revelations about his conduct has come to a swift end, despite the fact that the PSC is yet to make a decision about whether he is fit to be a public official or not.

The Police Commissioner’s information blackout on Bondin’s case reflects Gafa’s gradual withdrawal from the public eye, further exemplified by his previous attempts at concealing how his income doubled in just two years from a raft of government allowances added to his contract.

The Police Commissioner, who previously made himself relatively open to scrutiny from the press, has grown highly averse to negative press coverage, generally opting to give comments to government-friendly outlets like TVM about specific initiatives undertaken by the police corps and only holding press conferences about serious crimes whenever absolutely necessary.

The Home Affairs Ministry has also failed to issue any statements about Bondin’s case or the police force’s subsequent cover-up.