Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela this evening confirmed that the police corps will have a chief executive officer, confirming a story that was published in The Malta Independent three weeks ago.

That time, TMI had reported that one of the main reasons that led to the resignation of Michael Cassar from the post of Commissioner of police was the government’s decision to appoint a CEO.

The introduction of a CEO to the Force, TMI had reported on 23 April, will place new and undue pressure on the position of Commissioner, who will have to share the Force’s leadership with an ‘outsider’ who, like the CEOs of other public organisations, will report directly to the minister responsible.

The government had remained silent on the revelation but Minister Carmelo Abela this evening said that a public call for applications will be issued later this year.

Mr Abela said that the government will be taking its time to appoint a new commissioner, but there is no vacuum as the corps is being led by acting commissioner Lawrence Cutajar.

Mr Cutajar is the fifth head of the police force in three years of a Labour government. John Rizzo had been given the side soon after the 2013 election to be replaced by Peter Paul Zammit, who in turn made way for Ray Zammit (acting) before the latter moved on in the wake of the incident involving the driver of then Home Minister Manuel Mallia.