[WATCH] New police commissioner to seek closure on pending investigations

New Police Commissioner to seek closure on pending investigations

All cases should be investigated and closed as quickly as possible, new police commissioner Michael Cassar said. “Obviously, this does not mean that investigations should be carried out rashly but it is inexcusable for a case to keep dragging out if the police already have all the evidence in front of them, or at least enough evidence to secure a conviction in court.”

Cassar, a former security services head and assistant police commissioner, has previously investigated high-profile cases such as the oil scandal, bribery allegations against former EU Commissioner John Dalli and the unsolved case of Nicholas Azzopardi who died after suffering grievous injuries while in the Floriana police depot.

Although these cases have been criticised for the way they’ve dragged out over the years, Cassar said that all investigations he led were carried out in a timely manner. 

“While I was investigating, things always moved very quickly,” Cassar said. “We performed miracles in two and a half months of investigations into the oil case, investigations on the John Dalli case had completed and it appears as though the Azzopardi case was closed around five times.”  

He also said that people will be charged in court accordingly.

“I assure you that people will be charged when necessary,” Cassar said, when asked for his reaction to cases, such as within the Public Accounts Committee, whereby it emerged that police charges against people had been drafted but were not followed up on.

Cassar was appointed police commissioner on Monday after an inquiry into the Sheehan shooting incident found that Ray Zammit –now former acting police commissioner- had acted with “gross negligence”. Zammit has now returned to his former role as assistant commissioner.