A police inspector is on forced leave and a sergeant is expected to be arraigned tomorrow in connection with the Gzira shooting incident involving the former driver of Home Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia, Paul Sheehan.

The inspector was questioned yesterday at the police HQ and was placed on police bail over alleged tampering with evidence after spent pistol cartridges were removed from the scene of the crime. According to reports, his sister is Paul Sheehan's partner and the two are close.

The inspector is also suspected to have asked two witnesses to hand over footage of the incident they had filmed on a mobile phone. The women were last week called to the depot but failed to make a positive identification of the inspector from a police line-up.

The other police officer, a sergeant stationed at the Msida station, is expected to be charged with deleting parts of the report on Steve Morrison Smith - the Briton who was chased and shot at by Dr Mallia's driver.

The parts of the report which were erased included the result of a breathalyser test carried out on Mr Smith. According to initial reports, Mr Smith was three times over the limit. The missing data has since been recovered.

The driver, Paul Sheehan, has been charged with the attempted murder of Mr Smith.