Police Commissioner Angelo Gafà conceded an interview to RTK’s Andrew Azzopardi. He used his airtime to insist that the criticism for his systematic failures is unwarranted and is “all personal”. The police commissioner, who commands an entire police force, claims he’s facing “intimidation”. If any evidence were needed of this man’s unfitness for his role, look no further.
Gafà thinks he’s being criticised because people don’t like him. Nobody’s interested in Angelo Gafà and hardly anybody knew who he was. People are solely interested in having a police commissioner who carries out his duties responsibly, with integrity and without fear or favour.
Nobody could care less whether that man is Angelo Gafà, Anġlu Farrugia or Angelo Xuereb. What they’re worried about is that Gafà is a disaster. Everybody else is doing his job for him while he compliments himself.
The US Department of Justice banned Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri and their families from entering the US because of their alleged significant corruption, kickbacks and bribes relating to the Electrogas project.
Gafà didn’t investigate or charge either Mizzi or Schembri. How come the US Department of Justice has sufficient “credible information” of the two men’s crimes, yet, Gafà knows nothing?
Gafà didn’t investigate the fraudulent Vitals/Steward deal or the “government officials” involved in the collusion either.
Only Adrian Delia’s court case revealed the fraud and collusion. Only Repubblika’s request for a magisterial inquiry led to charges against Joseph Muscat and company. Gafà didn’t investigate. He relied entirely on the magistrate’s work. Now he’s doing his utmost to wreck the process. Gafà didn’t even bother appearing in court to support his officers. This is the biggest fraud trial ever but Gafà is conspicuous by his absence.
The US Department of Justice is now also investigating Steward for potential violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. They know Gafà is useless and won’t do it himself.
Repubblika did Gafà’s work for him by requesting that magisterial inquiry. Yet, Gafà has the brass neck to attack Repubblika for criticising him. He has the audacity to claim “this is all personal”.
Gafà is an abysmal failure. He simply looked on as Malta’s greatest crimes were carried out under his nose. Investigative journalists did all the work. They revealed who owned 17 Black, who was behind MacBridge, the massive Vitals-Steward fraud, the Electrogas mess, the millions that allegedly went to Yorgen Fenech from the Mozura windfarm and the SVPR illegal quarter billion deal.
Journalists revealed Steward was behind the fake stories about Chris Fearne. Last year, Gafà was asked to investigate those fabricated stories. Gafà ‘investigated’ and closed the case (without identifying who was behind Fearne’s political assassination attempt). Those journalists revealed Steward paid for the dirt on Fearne using our own money. They got to the bottom of it but Gafà, with the entire state’s resources at his disposal, access to Europol and Interpol didn’t.
The European Prosecutor’s Office took over the Marsa flyover corruption probe in which Fenech and government officials were allegedly involved because Gafà never bothered to investigate or charge anybody.
Angelo Gafà’s record is appalling. Instead of hiding away in shame, he’s taking pot shots at the Pilatus inquiry magistrate- Kevin Cassar
Gafà didn’t investigate Iosif Galea either. The German police did Gafà’s work, uncovering damning evidence against Galea and issuing a European arrest warrant. Gafà ignored it. The Germans wrote to remind him but nothing happened.
The Italian police had to arrest Galea when he travelled to Italy on holiday with Muscat. Galea was extradited to Germany, where he finally faced justice, being sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment.
The court ordered Gafà to investigate his predecessor, Lawrence Cutajar who passed sensitive information about the Caruana Galizia investigation to Melvin Theuma’s close friend.
Former deputy police commissioner Silvio Valletta was allegedly passing information to Fenech. Ian Abdilla deviously held off interrogating Fenech and “slept” on the Panama papers. Yet, Gafà did nothing except give Abdilla a medal for “long and efficient service”.
Gafà’s record is appalling. Instead of hiding away in shame, he’s taking pot shots at the Pilatus inquiry magistrate. Gafà is discrediting the magistrate’s work, stating it “was just 17 pages long”. Gafà didn’t investigate Pilatus despite overwhelming evidence it was a money laundering machine. The Pilatus inquiry recommended prosecution of top officials, including Muscat’s friend, Ali Sadr Hasheminejad.
But Gafà did nothing. He’s now contradicting the magistrate, claiming there was “a dearth of evidence” and there was just “one paragraph advising prosecutions”.
The European Central Bank didn’t shut down Pilatus because it was a shining example of best banking practice. Ali Sadr wasn’t convicted in the US because he’s squeaky clean. He didn’t face 125 years imprisonment, before he was let off due to a technicality, because he’s innocent. Yet, Gafà did nothing.
“When I meet ambassadors and third-party missions, they always say they wish the police in their country enjoyed the legitimacy that our corps does,” Gafà commented.
If that’s true, they’re pulling your leg, Gafà. You forget European arrest warrants, you let convicted criminals escape without noticing they haven’t signed the bail book for days. You’ve never investigated any of the many major crimes emanating from Castille.
“The vast majority of the population trusts the police force,” Gafà claimed, citing surveys.
Surveys also show Muscat is a hero. Mizzi won thousands of votes after the Panama papers exposed his secret companies. Harold Shipman, the English GP, was adored by his patients but he was killing hundreds of them and their relatives, for which he received a life sentence.
“My five-year-old comes home and asks his mum ‘is daddy going to jail?’” Gafà moped. He’s now playing the pity card. The country doesn’t want theatrics and self-pity. The country needs a police commissioner who does his work instead of targeting critics and the judiciary. Gafà’s record is pathetic – he didn’t investigate, charge or convict a single politician despite the avalanche of corruption cases.
If it weren’t for investigative journalists, Repubblika, Delia and the judiciary, none of Labour’s mega-scandals would have been exposed. Gafà closed both eyes.
Do you blame those suspecting Gafà of protecting Muscat and his friends – Ali Sadr , Mizzi, Schembri, Shaukat Ali, Galea, Armin Ernst, Ralph de la Torre, Cutajar, Valletta, Fenech and so many more?
Gafà should have been pursuing those responsible for Labour’s wild excesses and its fraudulent deals. Instead, he just watched and let them enjoy their loot.
Now he’s denigrating the judiciary and maligning Repubblika who sought justice instead of him.
What a sorry soul.