Updated | Gaffarena, Zammit held for questioning at police headquarters

Businessman Joe Gaffarena taken in for questioning by Economic Crimes Unit

Businessman Joe Gaffarena was held for questioning at the Police headquarters, MaltaToday has learnt.

Also taken in for questioning today was Daniel Zammit, a former police officer and son of the former acting police commissioner Ray Zammit, who was in business with the Gaffarena family.

MaltaToday was however unable to confirm why either Gaffarena or Zammit are being investigated by the Economic Crimes Unit, although it is believed that the Zammit-Gaffarena business relationship could be the subject of interest.

MORE The Gaffarena-Zammit relationship

It transpires that Gaffarena was also held in the lock-up for some time while under police custody.

The Times have since reported that Gaffarena was being interrogated as part of "a broad investigation".

The Gaffarenas have been a recurrent feature in the Maltese press since it was revealed that Joe Gaffarena's son Marco, was controversially compensated by the Lands Department with €1.65 million in a combined cash and property deal, for the expropriation of his 50% ownership of an Old Mint Street building that houses government offices.

In 2014, the Gaffarena family was granted a temporary clearance to reopen its petrol station in Qormi against a €500,000 bank guarantee.

Additionally, the Gaffarena family’s involvement with the family of former acting police commissioner Ray Zammit raised numerous questions of conflicts of interest for the family of police officers; and former police inspector Daniel Zammit’s conduct in the prosecution of Joe Gaffarena’s son-in-law, Stephen Caruana, for murder. The links were the recent subject of an inquiry by Judge Michael Mallia.