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Posted by Louis Amato-Gauci:
Currently, the Malta police have no civilian accountability. It seems that they are, however, entirely beholden to the Minister for Home Affairs, and so much more so now that the three top cops are subject to performance agreements. That is just plain wrong, on so many counts.
Certainly, the Mallia/Sheehan/Zammit debacle demonstrates that the police should not be investigating themselves.
Malta urgently needs a permanent, truly independent civilian agency, with extensive investigative powers, and with the further power to lay charges, following any incident involving a police officer where a firearm is discharged by that officer, where someone has been seriously injured or dies, or where it is alleged that an officer has committed sexual assault or any other crime while on duty.
Background note: Louis Amato-Gauci is partner in a law firm in Toronto.
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In layman’s terms, it’s called guarding the guards
Malta urgently requires a public body along the lines of the UK’s IPCC.
Recent events have proved without any shadow of doubt that this is necessary.
Not that any doubt existed in the first place.
Hence the need for an Office of the Police Ombudsman. Or a separate commission.
Such Office or commission will be a separate investigative arm that can handle public complaints about misconduct by the police.
And the police will feel and know that they will be held publicly accountable.
Given the way appointments have been made recently to public bodies, how can we be sure that those appointed to the independent civilian agency to monitor the police force will be truly independent?
Agree entirely with you – the public, the Opposition and journalists need to guard the guards.
You heard well what Michael Cassar said. I will not discuss the Mallia case. Guess what, he washed his hands as he did with John Dalli’s case . His life as a commissioner is short indeed.
It is about time that Malta has some sort of police services board to oversee the operations of the Police Force.