Ombudsman suggests fresh call for post of assistant police commissioner

The Ombudsman has ruled that the 2016 selection process for assistant police commissioners was "vitiated", and that the selection process ought to be reopened to allow for a fair selection process.

In his ruling, Ombusman Anthony Mifsud said that the decision to pass certain officers in the selection process appeared to have been a personal choice of the former police commissioner Lawrence Cutajar.

Mifsud had asked Cutajar on what basis those officers were eventually passed, and Cutajar replied "because I trust them".

The basis of this trust was also unclear, the Ombudsman ruled.

"When asked if he had any recommendations or pressure from officials in the Prime Minister’s Office, he denied and replied that no one interfered," the report reads.

As a result, the selection process was vitiated, consisting of major deficiences.

Since the ruling was given in a case by Superintendent Raymond D'Anastas, who complained of injustices suffered throughout the selection process, the Ombudsman ruled that D'Anastas had in fact suffered an injustice throughout the process.

In light of this, the Ombudsman recommended that the Police Commissioner reopen applications for this rank, allowing officers in the complainants situation to resubmit their application for the post.

If this is not done, the Ombudsman recommends a €15,000 compensation in non-pecuniary damage for D'Anastas.