From promotion ban to Assistant Commissioner: How Labour rehabilitated Mario Tonna

Former Assistant Police Commissioner Mario Tonna, named in court this week as a senior police officer who received money from Melvin Theuma as well as providing him with sensitive information, had his stalled police career resurrected following Labour’s return to power in 2013.

Tonna’s trajectory through the police force is back under scrutiny following explosive testimony by Theuma, the confessed middleman in the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Under cross-examination on Wednesday, Theuma admitted giving Tonna money when the senior officer was experiencing financial difficulties. He also confirmed that Tonna provided him with sensitive information about evidence recovered by investigators following the December 2017 arrests of the Degiorgio brothers.

This included information concerning the burner phone linking Theuma to hitman Alfred Degiorgio.

Yet Tonna would arguably never have occupied such a senior position had a previous decision stopping his advancement through the police hierarchy remained in place.

In 2011, while still an Inspector, Tonna was found guilty of offences involving his superior, Superintendent Carmelo Bartolo.

The case followed an incident in which Tonna repeatedly telephoned his superior, called him a “bull” and mimicked animal noises. Phone records showed that Tonna had called Bartolo 20 times in 20 minutes without speaking.

When officers confronted him at a Naxxar football club, Tonna, visibly drunk in uniform, refused to hand over his two mobile phones. One was eventually discovered hidden in a planter outside the club.

Tonna, at the time an Inspector, was convicted of intimidating and harassing his superior, inappropriate use of a mobile phone and committing an offence he was duty-bound to prevent as a police officer.

On appeal, the intimidation finding was removed, but his conviction for harassment remained.

He received a conditional discharge. Crucially for his career, Tonna was prevented from seeking further promotion within the police force.

That changed following Labour’s return to government in 2013.

Despite tha ban, Tonna was allowed to apply for promotion again and, following interviews, was promoted to superintendent in August 2015 – a decision that caused disquiet among senior police officers.

His rehabilitation did not stop there.

Two years later, under the same Labour administration, Tonna received another promotion and became Assistant Police Commissioner in June 2017, bypassing many more senior officers of good repute.

It was while occupying this senior position that, according to Theuma’s testimony this week, Tonna was providing him with sensitive information at a crucial stage of the Caruana Galizia murder investigation.

Theuma told jurors that he had developed a friendship with Tonna and admitted giving him money.

Tonna’s police career came to an abrupt end only months after his second promotion.

He was forced to resign – a measure to save his pension – in January 2018 after his partner filed a domestic violence report alleging he had headbutted her during an argument. Tonna was later acquitted after the woman declined to testify against him.

His resignation did not end his relationship with the State and Labour’s gravy train.

By June 2018, Tonna was back on the public payroll, this time working at the Contracts Department.

Two years later, Tonna went one step further.

In 2020, he was among 14 candidates who applied to become **Police Commissioner**, despite the controversies surrounding his police career and resignation.

The eligibility criteria required candidates to be of “conduct which is appropriate to the position” and to demonstrate accountability and leadership qualities.

The government shot down Tonna’s application and appointed Angelo Gafa’ instead. The latter acted as Police CEO when Lawrence Cutajar was Commissioner and Tonna was promoted.