Man who accosted minister sent Facebook messages to police investigator

Police investigations inside the Animal Welfare Department found no animal cruelty in the culling of cats and dogs that had been euthanized.

Instead, a court today heard that the department was rife with infighting over politics and bickering amongst the animal welfare officers.

Investigations by police found that cats had been euthanized due to sickness, while another dog that was killed had allegedly been aggressive.

The court was hearing witnesses in the case brought against Eugene Galea, a former animal welfare officer accused of having assaulted parliamentary secretary for animal welfare Roderick Galdes ostensibly after his complaints on the department's management went ignored.

Galea had claimed that animal welfare personnel had killed cats by breaking their nets and leaving them to rot under a rubble wall.

Police inspector Ramon Mercieca told the court that it was Roderick Marsden, an officer from the department, who had killed the animals after being instructed to do so by his superiors, because the animal had been in severe pain and no vet was available at the time.

15 officers from the department were questioned on the case, and no proof could be found as to warrant an arraignment. But the investigation also found that animal welfare officers were prone to political infighting.

Mercieca also said that while out on bail, Eugene Galea approached him and threatened to report him to his superiors, alleging that he was not carrying our a proper investigation. Galea was said to have sent Facebook messages to the police inspector, specifically warning him "not to let Roderick Galdes take me down with him."