Bogdanovic inquiry | Junior minister’s aide called Assistant Commissioner, ‘lack of sensitivity’ in decision to grant police bail

Inquiry into the release on police bail of Daniel Bogdanovic, arrested for threatening his wife and carrying a gun outside his residence, finds an element of lack of sensitivity in police decision to grant bail

Daniel Bogdanovic was released on police bail on Sunday 30 October and went on to play in a 3pm match
Daniel Bogdanovic was released on police bail on Sunday 30 October and went on to play in a 3pm match

It was a junior minister’s chief of staff who called the police top brass to learn about the arrest of Xewkija Tigers’ midfielder Daniel Bogdanovic, who was under arrest on a domestic violence charge, and could have set in motion a chain of events that led to Bogdanovic’s timely release for a Sunday match.

The chief of staff of parliamentary secretary Ian Borg, Jesmond Zammit, called Assistant Commissioner of Police Carmelo Magri, because as the coach of Xewkija Tigers, Zammit felt “it was his duty” to inquire about the arrest.

Zammit has suspended himself pending the outcome of the inquiry.

Xewkija Tigers coach Jesmond Zammit called AC Carmelo Magri. Zammit is chief of staff to junior minister Ian Borg
Xewkija Tigers coach Jesmond Zammit called AC Carmelo Magri. Zammit is chief of staff to junior minister Ian Borg

An inquiry led by retired AFM commander Carmel Vassallo confirmed initial reports by MaltaToday that a ministry official had contacted police top brass, in what ultimately resulted in the release of Bogdanovic from his arrest.

“Doubts linger over the facts that a football match had to be played on the Sunday afternoon [the day of Bogdanovic’s release,” Vassallo said, noting that the police bail for the former Malta international was within the law.

“It is possible that between the finalisation of the police inspector’s inquiry, and the telephone calls of AC Magri, the former decided to grant police bail. Undoubtedly, the lack of sensitivity in this decision remains present.”

Bogdanovic was arrested on 29 October at 7pm when his wife Alison filed a report at the Rabat police station, together with her brother Ferdinando Apap, over a threatening SMS she had received, and because Bogdanovic had pointed a gun to her face and in another incident, threw an electric fan at her – accusations that Bogdanovic denied later.

A lack of sensitivity was obvious, “without any doubt,” in the decision taken by police at the Rabat, Gozo, police station to release on bail Bogdanovic on 30 October, according to an official inquiry report published on Friday.

The inquiry found no evidence of political pressure having been exerted on the police to release Bogdanovic.The inquiry also concluded that a conversation between the Superintendent and the Inspector of the Rabat, Gozo, police station preceded the release of Bogdanovic on police bail.

Brig. Vassallo said in his report that, more than the telephone call by Zammit to AC Magri on Saturday evening, “what stands out is the conversation between Superintendent Antonello Grech and Inspector Edel Mary Camilleri on Sunday morning”.

“In my opinion, the original telephone call on Saturday evening may have set things in motion on how the case developed, but the determining factor that lead to the police bail was the conversation mentioned,” Vassallo wrote in his report.

He went to recommend that the conversation between the two police officers be examined in further detail by the police administration, possibly with the assistance of the Attorney General, in the interests of the officers of the Police Corps.

Inspector Camilleri told the inquiry that she had arrested Bogdanovic – even though she was convinced of the measures and precautions she had taken to protect the mother and children – because she wanted to obtain a Protection Order from the Court as quickly as possible.

But Vassallo notes in his report that one could argue that the inspector’s reasoning was not sound. “If the protection order is the measure used in serious cases because of its importance and significance, it does not make much sense – at the same time – to grant police bail to a person that had committed a serious threat.”