So much has been said and written about the arraignment of the Marsaxlokk parish priest on charges of money laundering and misappropriation of funds.

Fr Luke Seguna has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and we await the course of justice to establish his innocence or otherwise.

The police have done their work on this, and found sufficient evidence to take the priest before the courts of law.

What we ask of them now is to proceed with other cases, including those involving so-called politically-exposed persons, on whom there seems to be more procrastination, perhaps even reluctance. From what we know, little progress seems to have been registered and it’s been months since something new has emerged.

When asked whether any investigation is going, the police hide behind a particular section of the law which prohibits them from even saying whether someone is being investigated. Officially, we get to know nothing about what the police are doing, and normally only what filters through some leaks reaches the public.

Article 87 of the Police Act restricts the Police from divulging details of ongoing investigations, we’re told every time we ask. Article 87 states that “no police officer shall give any details to the press or the broadcasting media regarding the identity of any person arrested on a reasonable suspicion that he or she committed an offence”.

Should this be the case? Should the public be deprived of such knowledge? Shouldn’t the police be more open on what they are doing?

From the titbits that we know, the police are investigating bigger fish, but so far this has led to little action, if any at all.

So this raises many other questions – have the police given up? Are they still investigating? Have these people been interrogated again? What is keeping the police from making arrests and taking people to court? Is the evidence they found, if any at all, not enough? Have they chosen to sit back and wait? Do they have the resources to finish their job?

We understand that money laundering and misappropriation of funds are types of crime that are hard to prove. Such illicit behaviour is cleverly hidden, and it is often the case that although there are strong suspicions, there is not enough evidence with which to take people to court. So, in many of these investigations, police tend to wait for the right opportunity, the right piece to complete their puzzle.

But the more time passes, the more the trails go cold, and the harder it gets for the police to be able to find evidence. There is also the risk that, by the time people are arraigned, the cases would be time-barred.

We urge the police to do their duty, and do it properly.