Former police commissioner Ray Zammit did not perceive any threat to Daphne Caruana Galizia’s life, he has told an inquiry into her assassination. 

Mr Zammit served as acting commissioner between July to December 2014. He was forced to resign after a shooting incident involving former minister Manuel Mallia’s driver. 

Testifying during the public inquiry on Monday, Mr Zammit said there were frequent patrols in the vicinity of her Bidnija home while he was acting police chief.

He confirmed that the security services never flagged any concerns about Ms Caruana Galizia’s safety and that there was no fixed police presence at her house. 

Mr Zammit said the journalist’s protection was handled as part of the routine work by district police. 

He explained how each district officer must patrol key points in their area. 
Mr Zammit said there was a fixed police presence outside the journalist’s home after a 2006 arson attack. 

He recalled how he had personally informed Ms Caruana Galizia’s family of the fixed police presence back when he was still deputy commissioner. 

Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed by a car bomb outside her home in October 2017. Photo: Mark Zammit Cordina

In previous sittings, his predecessor Peter Paul Zammit and successor Michael Cassar have both said there was no specific threat against Ms Caruana Galizia’s life.

A series of questions about the shooting incident, as well as questions about his son’s business ties were not allowed by the inquiry board. 

Replying to a question by board member Abigail Lofaro, Mr Zammit said no FIAU reports were received during his stint as commissioner. 

Mr Zammit said after leaving his post as acting commissioner, he was offered a job at Lesa, the traffic enforcement agency. 

Mr Zammit said that the journalist’s situation had never been evaluated, even because there was never any request as such from her family or district police office.

He said how once he had got a call from Mr Rizzo, when Zammit was assistant commissioner, telling him to inform Daphne Caruana Galizia that the fixed point was being stopped. He said that he had gone to Bidnija on a Sunday, was met by her husband who told him to pass on the message to him.

Asked about the offer of top job, even only on acting basis, he said that he had been summoned by OPM. His predecessor, Peter Paul Zammit, had told him “I’m going to resign. If they offer you the job, take it.”

Ray Zammit said Peter Paul Zammit never told him why he resigned. As for his own appointment, he had always questioned why he was given “acting” role.