Iosif Galea arrest: four police officers to carry can for failed arrest, says Repubblika head

Two high-ranking police officers and two police inspectors are being made to carry the can for a botched arrest warrant that failed to stop a money laundering suspect from leaving Malta, the president of civil society NGO Repubblika has said.

The arrest of gaming consultant Iosif Galea in Italy, who left Malta on holiday after a European Arrest Warrant was issued for him, has now snowballed into a police inquiry. But Repubblika’s Robert Aquilina claims an assistant commissioner and three other officers will be accused of the failure to prevent Galea from leaving Malta, when it should be Commissioner of Police Angelo Gafà, his deputy Alexandra Mamo, and home affairs minister Byron Camilleri to stand up and be counted.

Galea was later arrested in Italy last week but on a German EAW related to a tax investigation, suggesting the Maltese EAW was an after-thought intended as a face-saving measure.

Aquilina today said police officers who contacted him had reported that four officials would have to carry the can for the Iosif Galea EAW, namely, an assistant commissioner, a superintendent, and two inspectors.

“It is clear that the corps is trying to wash its hands of this obscene scandal,” Aquilina said. “Whatever the circumstances, the three people who have to take responsibility for this gaffe are Angelo Gafà, Alexandra Mamo, and Byron Camilleri… who are responsible for the police force’s internal systems.”

Aquilina also accused the police force of employing a half-baked internal inquiry into the issuance of the EAW to allow top brass evade responsibility for not having arrested Galea earlier.

On Thursday, former Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi claimed Malta’s two highest-ranking police officers were “protecting” Iosif Galea and punishing a police inspector to cover up their shortcomings.

In a series of explosive Facebook posts, Azzopardi claimed that the inspector had advised the force’s SIRENE bureau that Galea was the subject of an EAW a full 10 days before Galea left Malta on holiday to Brindisi, Puglia – where he was expected to join a holiday party that included former prime minister Joseph Muscat. Galea’s partner is an employee of Michelle Muscat’s charity Marigold Foundation.

Galea, a former Gaming Authority official turned consultant, was wanted by the German police, who were investigating him for tax evasion.