Policeman will remain on Parliament duty despite 'rude' Facebook comments

A police officer who had written disparaging Facebook comments against Opposition MP Claudette Buttigieg will not be transferred from his new role within Parliament security.

Speaker Anglu Farrugia – delivering a ruling requested by the PN – said that Eugenio Caruana had written his “colourful” Facebook comments while he was still stationed at the Bormla police station.

“He had no idea that he was about to be promoted to the rank of sergeant major last week or that he was going to be stationed to Parliament,” Farrugia said, adding that Caruana has since deleted his Facebook account.

The Speaker said that he had personally spoken with Caruana following the PN’s complaint and made it clear with him that he must fulfill his new role in charge of Parliament security without in any way discriminating against MPs.

“Everyone has the right to their own political beliefs, but every Parliament employee should carry out their work irrespectively of such beliefs,” he said. “I will ensure that Caruana and other police officers fulfill their duties.”

He added that he felt no reason to bring this case up with the new acting police commissioner Laurence Cutajar.