Former police commissioner Lawrence Cutajar has been employed by the Home Affairs Ministry as a consultant on public safety and logistics with a €31,000 yearly package.

A spokeswoman for Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri told Times of Malta Cutajar was engaged as a consultant because of his 35 years of experience in the organisation of high-level national and public events.

Cutajar had been police commissioner for more than three years after he resigned last week following weeks of protests for his removal. Cutajar is seen as not having done much to investigate reports of corruption involving top people. He is known to be a staunch Labour supporter.

The Home Affairs Ministry said Cutajar will be given a salary of €21,040, an expertise allowance of €9,000, a communications allowance of €800 and the use of a car. The contract is for three years.

In a statement, the Nationalist Party said that PM Robert Abela has not learnt from the mistakes of his predecessor. He continues to insist that he should be the one to appoint a police chief and now he has given a job to the former police chief who failed in his duties.

Cutajar did not investigate the "corrupt and criminals who worked from Castille," the statement, signed by Beppe Fenech Adami said. Cutajar's inaction is the cause for the people's lack of trust in the police, he added.