Police commissioner Angelo Gafa believes that criticism levelled at him on the way he runs the organisation is “all personal”, and says the vast majority of people trusts the police force.

In an interview on RTK, Gafa said that “Repubblika and its allies” are on a mission to slam his every decision, and this goes beyond disapproval to what he does in his role.

“It is all personal,” he said, adding that he has accepted this this comes with the job and has got used to receiving such intimidation.

He said his son asks his mother whether “daddy is going to jail” as he’s seen images of him (the police chief) behind bars.

He said that the Nationalist Party, which did not attend the parliamentary sitting during which he was appointed, seemed intent to work against him right from the start.

The PN has recently also opposed the renewal of his appointment for another four years.

Asked about the police’s decision not to prosecute former Pilatus bank officials, a decision that drew criticism, Gafa said there was a dearth of evidence and officers responsible for the case took the right decision.

The Vitals hospital inquiry was 1,200 pages long including 100 pages of what the police and attorney general should do. In the Pilatus bank case, the report was just 17 pages long with one paragraph recommending prosecutions.

Asked about claims by Roger Agius – one of the men accused in the social benefits fraud – that the police did not want to hear him out, Gafa said that the police needed the green light from the court to speak to him since he is facing criminal charges.

On allegations of a massive racket at Identità, where it is alleged that thousands of ID cards had been issued illegally, Gafà said police investigations are ongoing.

Gafà said the magisterial inquiry on the case involving allegations that former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri had leaked sensitive information to Yorgen Fenech about the Caruana Galizia murder investigation was still ongoing. 

Repubblika statement