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A case of two weights and two measures?

Two police inspectors who were accused of sexual abuse were automatically suspended on half pay, after the alleged victims presented their report at a police station. The procedure meted out to the two police inspectors contrasts heavily to inaction on the part of the Home Affairs Minister regarding the serious allegations of sexual harassment made against the Police Commissioner, George Grech.

In the case of the Police Commissioner, a Polish-born Maltese citizen did not refer the case to the police, but was advised by her lawyers to take her case directly to a magistrate.

From an ‘ethical’ point of view, the commencement of a magisterial inquiry is equivalent to lodging a report with the police.

One of the suspended inspectors was Inspector Victor Gauci who was recently found ‘not guilty’ by the court.

He had been accused of requesting sexual favours in return for visas for two female Moroccan immigrants.

Inspector Gauci is reported to have left the Corps a saddened man.

It seems that no pro-government radio talk show host has contacted the inspector to ask for his comments.

The other case is still pending before the courts and involves Inspector Anthony Cassar, who faces allegations of sexual abuse from a 17 year old girl.

There have been countless other examples of suspensions with reference to misdemeanours involving fraud and theft.

Asked specifically by MaltaToday whether he believed that the Commissioner of Police should be suspended pending the outcome of the case, Home Affairs Minister Dr Tonio Borg replied: "The two inspectors were suspended after being accused of sexual abuses. In this case they were taken up to court and therefore they had to be suspended."

Though the spectre of false accusation should not be ignored, one cannot help but question what the outcome would have been if the allegations of sexual harassment against the Police Commissioner had been lodged at a police station.

Would the police inspector in the station have proceeded against his superior? And if so, would the Home Affairs Minister have suspended the Commissioner?