Former Police Commissioner Lawrence Cutajar says he had launched the investigation into the alleged traffic section abuses when he had received a letter from a whistleblower last November, he told The Malta Independent.

The Police Internal Affairs Office within the Police Corps has arrested around 30 traffic section personnel in what has been described as a “major racket.”

The racket has been under investigation for a number of weeks and was exposed by a whistleblower, and related to overtime.

At least two inspectors are also expected to be charged for claiming payments for overtime they never worked. The superintendent in charge of the section has also resigned.

Asked about the investigation, Cutajar said that he had received a letter from a whistleblower towards the end of last November.

He said that he passed it on to Internal Affairs immediately and they started gathering their records and details.

“When they realised that there was abuse, they brought in the Anti-Fraud squad. When I left the Corps the investigation was still ongoing.”

Asked if there were other sections involved in the alleged racket, he said that as far as he knew the traffic section was the only that one.

Asked whether he had informed the government when he received the letter, Cutajar said that he did not need to as a copy of the letter sent to him was also sent to the minister (of Home Affairs) and an investigation had been launched right away.