The police did not do their job properly if they just relied on the photo uploaded by Wiz Khalifa – of the singer boasting of smoking a joint at Blue Lagoon – without speaking to the rapper, lawyer Roberto Montalto told The Malta Independent.

“The police are right to say that a picture on social media might be doctored and that, on its own, it does not constitute a crime, but what they should have done after Khalifa posted on the social media that he was smoking a joint while at the Blue Lagoon was to call him and question him on his actions,” Dr Montalto said.

He added that another step the police should have considered taking was to raid the room Khalifa was staying in at the Excelsior Hotel. If this did not happen it’s a mistake, he said.

This whole controversy started after US rapper Khalifa, who was one of the performers for Isle of MTV last Tuesday, first uploaded a photo saying that he was smoking a joint and later was seen smoking marijuana in the Isle of MTV official press conference. 

While the singer left the island without as much as talk with the police, let alone being charged in court, the police said that 11 people were arrested during the Isle of MTV for a similar offence – being in possession of cannabis.

When contacted by this newsroom, Dr Montalto said that another question which the police should have asked and investigated is whether Khalifa got the marijuana with him from abroad or if he had obtained it in Malta. In either case, they should have acted accordingly.

Yesterday this newspaper published a photo of Khalifa rolling a joint with drug related items spread on a coffee table in front of him while at the Excelsior Hotel. Today we are publishing another photo showing the US rapper smoking in the room.

This newsroom sent questions to Norbert Grixti, the General Manager of Excelsior Hotel asking him if any action was taken against Khalifa while the singer was a guest at the hotel. Mr Grixti said: “I am not aware that anyone was breaking the law while staying in the hotel. Had this been the case, we would have informed the authorities.”

This whole issue has led to dismay and resent on the social media, with many commenting that this was a case of double standards shown by the police. In an editorial yesterday, The Malta Independent said that the law should be applied equally to one and all, and that the incident reflects badly on the police.