Lawrence Cutajar received €12,462 in performance bonuses in three years

Former police commissioner Lawrence Cutajar received more than €12,000 in performance bonuses between 2016 and 2018, information tabled in Parliament shows.

Cutajar resigned from his post a few days after Robert Abela was sworn in as prime minister, a fortnight ago.

Information tabled in Parliament by Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri shows that in 2016, Cutajar received a performance bonus of €2,003 (covering the period between August and December). In 2017, Cutajar received €4,876 and in 2018, the former police chief received €5,583. The bonus for 2019 is still being worked out.

Camilleri was answering a parliamentary question put by Opposition spokesperson Beppe Fenech Adami.

Earlier this week, Camilleri also tabled Cutajar’s resignation letter.

Cutajar was appointed police commissioner in 2016 after the resignation of Michael Cassar. He faced criticism over the police force’s handling of alleged money laundering crimes and corruption by people in power that culminated in repeated calls for his resignation.

On his watch, four men, including the individual believed to be the mastermind, were charged with the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

However, the police still face flak over the manner in which they dealt with former chief of staff in the Office of the Prime Minister Keith Schembri, who was implicated in the murder by one of the suspects and a key witness who was given a presidential pardon.

Cutajar was awarded a consultancy job on public safety and logistics for €31,000 per year by the Home Affairs Ministry after his resignation.