John Rizzo no longer Police Commissioner
John Rizzo has been moved to the Civil Protection Department. He has been replaced by Peter Paul Zammit, who left the force some years ago and has been working as a legal procurator since then, with Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi’s firm. Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi is a Labour Party official.
UPDATE: Up until a couple of years ago, Zammit was in the law course (he became a legal procurator long before that and returned to university after some years). He may have just graduated in law, but I don’t think so as even The Times has him down as a legal procurator. So we have a police commissioner who is also a law student.
I have just spoken to Mr Rizzo, asking him to confirm what I had heard – that he had resigned – and he said that no, he did not resign. I asked him whether he was leaving because of retirement, and he said no, he was moving (had been moved) to the CPD.
Poor old Audrey Harrison of the MEPA did all those Labour billboards and igloo testimonials for nothing – husband Assistant Commissioner Neil Harrison has been left on the shelf.
She is going to have to collect her dues some other way.
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Is this possibly the worst of them all, to date, Daphne?
It’s just been superseded. They’ve asked for the resignation of the ARMS CEO in a public statement.
Now THAT is surely the Mother Of All Transfers.
Any idea who this Peter Paul Zammit who is replacing him is?
[Daphne – Yes. He was an inspector/superintendant with the CID. He left the force after 25 years of service, which is when police officers can start collecting their pension. ]
Sorry, I meant, how come someone who had left the force be given such a post? Has it happened before?
[Daphne – Obviously not, though Malta Today is trying to draw comparisons between this situation and the appointment of Alfred Calleja as Police Commissioner in 1987, Mr Calleja having resigned from the force in 1980 for ‘health reasons’ but really because of all that was going on there.]
It may be a short interregnum, so that Harrison will not be seen as being given the appointment as a reward.
Thanks Daphne, thought so.
Trust Malta Today to try to cook up something! Remember Calleja’s case very well.
Yes this can happen as was the case in 1987 when people who left the force returned to the corps.
This guy was instrumental in having me thrown into the slammer in 1996.
Quick now, everyone change from blue to red armbands.
The thing that peeves me most about these people is that they call themselves Labour, but they are not Labourites, they are Fascists. I am a Labourite and I take exception at them calling themselves something they are not. The irony of Malta is that the PN is Labour and the PL is the National Socialist Party. How weird.
Here’s the face to go with the name:
http://www.di-ve.com/national/new-police-commissioner-appointed
Peter Paul Zammit joined the police force in 1979 (no great commendation). He enrolled in the law programme at the University in 1993. My recollection – I was in his same yea r- is that he was a pompous, not very bright chap.
I am not sure if he decided to opt for the legal procurator path because he failed to make the LLD one (in itself no great feat as Luciano, Chhris Cardona and Franco all made it) or whether it was his first choice.
Is he another Anglu Farrugia?
Another Zammit was being planned previously. They are already creating problems between themselves.
Yet another case of meritocracy………..the arrogance never ends.
I think this Labour government cares little about what people think, if at all. Many typical 80s transfers are being done in many departments, but we only hear about the senior positions.
I believe some appointments are being done without interviews, when normally such appointment would require at least an interview through a PSC board.
It’s utterly disgraceful. I’m disgusted.
Dealt with the guy during his ‘last’ few years in the Corps: really not impressed.
The Malta Independent is getting it wrong How come:
John Rizzo has tendered his resignation from police commissioner. He will be replaced by Peter Paul Zammit.
They’re assuming that this sort of thing would be done the decent way.
Peter Paul Zammit left the police force in 2009. As the Times puts it, using the wrong tense:
He has served in the police force for 25 years until 2009
I think the PL could have done much worse with this appointment.
Peter Paul Zammit has the brains, comes from a Labour-leaning, good, but mixed family in Siggiewi who must be all proud. If he accepted I should think he accepted all the responsibility that comes with it.
The point is that Labour could have done MUCH BETTER. Why do we always have to hope that, with Labour, things won’t get worse?
I would tend to agree. He’s not that bad. Probably the least bad of the appointments made so far.
John Rizzo was good and is still good.
It is healthy that people are moved from important positions.Twelve years is a bit too much.
Michael Cassar as head of secret service : Good move.
John Rizzo as Head of Civil Protection : Why not?
PP Zammit as commissioner : we will wait and see.
So after this musical chairs, the CP head Murgo was left out.
Malta has lost a good criminal investigator. So much for meritocracy.
How the hell is he going to have the respect of all police officers in the force if he wasn’t even part of it?
Is this yet another act to undermine the institutions we rely on to protect us?
He was part of it until 2009. When they resign after 25 years of service, they cash in a considerable sum of money which they won’t do if they continue to serve.
Most police officers resign, cash the money and then return to work after a couple of years, even if not to the post of Police Commissioner.
Is-somma johodha min dahal fil-korp sa l- 1978-1979, igifieri hafna mil-pulizija li jirtiraw fil-prezent, bil-penzjoni tal-25 sena servizz, ma jiehdux is-somma imma il-penzjoni biss. Il-penzjoni tkun xi naqa aktar min ta’ min kien jiehu is-somma.
Nina, we shall have to wait and see whether he accepted all the responsility that comes with it. The return of John Dalli comes to mind.
Any bets that Neil Harrison will be given the post of Director of Prisons?
[Daphne – Why would he want it?]
Director of Prisons? 62% of the inmates were arraigned by him.
Definitely a wrong move.
So. Mr. Rizzo replaced Mr. Patrick Murgo’? If so, what position does Mr. Murgo’ have now?
I’ll bet dollars to doughnuts that this has everything to do with John Dalli’s sudden return.
John Rizzo was the investigating officer in the John Dalli case. MLP in government, Rizzo transfered, Dalli returns, all in less than 40 days. Anyone else smell a rat?