[WATCH] Prosecution of Gaffarena’s son-in-law to be probed, PN wants Ray Zammit suspended

PN calls for suspension of Ray Zammit over 'potential corruption in murder investigation'. Video: Ray Attard

The Opposition have called on the Prime Minister to instantly suspend former police commissioner Ray Zammit from his public posts and to launch an independent inquiry into his family's business connections with Joe Gaffarena and into Zammit son's role as prosecutor in murder charges against Gaffarena's son-in-law.

"Although the story was revealed by Daphne Caruana Galizia four whole days ago, the government has not yet uttered a word about it in the hope that the story will die down," shadow home affairs minister Beppe Fenech Adami told a press conference. "This is a case of potential corruption in the prosecution of a murder suspect and it has cast a bad light on both the justice system and the police force.”

He also called on Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi to explain how Daniel Zammit landed a job at Enemalta’s internal audit division so shortly after getting ‘boarded out’ of the police force.

In a reaction, the government said that it was seeking the advice of the Attorney General as to the best way it could investigate Daniel Zammit’s role in the prosecution of Stephen Caruana on murder charges.
“This decision will be announced once it is taken. This case took place under the preceding administration, when the prosecution was being led by the former police inspector and when the said company was formed along with the inspector.”

Daniel Zammit was medically 'boarded out' of the police force within four days of making his request and subsequently drafted into a €60,000 job at Enemalta's audit division. As the news broke in Parliament earlier this week, he was instantly fired by Konrad Mizzi.

In 2009, Zammit was serving as co-prosecutor in murder charges against Joe Gaffarena's son-in-law Stephen Caruana.

However, in 2010, while investigations were ongoing, Ray and Daniel Zammit set up a company St Gabriel's Home Ltd with Joe Gaffarena. The Zammits' shares were later transferred to Ray's wife Jane Zammit.

The murder case is ongoing in court.

Shadow justice minister Jason Azzopardi said that public officers are bound by the public service code to seek the permission of the Permanent Secretary before getting involved in a private business.

When questioned as to why Zammit’s business interests with Gaffarena hadn’t been noticed earlier, Azzopardi said that it is “humanly impossible” to keep daily tabs on the potential conflicts of interest involving prosecuting officers.

“There are thousands of police officers in the force and new companies are registered everyday. It is humanly impossible for the police to conduct a daily search of the new companies to discover whether any of them could potentially constitute a conflict of interest for a prosecuting officer. That’s why it’s up to police officers themselves to declare their own business interests.”