New PN MP and ex-police officer defends joining lawyer’s firm
Frank Tabone spoke about his appointment as Gozo shadow minister and his proposal to introduce a Gozo drugs squad
Newly elected PN MP and former police officer Frank Anthony Tabone has defended his 2022 decision to work with a lawyer his unit once investigated for financial foul play.
Since his investigations “led to nothing”, Tabone said he saw no reason why he could not join the law firm following his police career.
Speaking to Times of Malta in a series focusing on the new MPs, Tabone fielded questions about his appointment as Gozo shadow minister and his proposal to introduce a Gozo drugs squad.
Tabone used to head the Financial Crimes Department’s anti-money laundering unit as superintendent. A lawyer, he left the force in 2022 and began working at criminal defence lawyer Arthur Azzopardi’s firm weeks later.
Azzopardi was among a group of people interviewed as part of a police anti-smuggling crackdown. He was never charged in relation to the cases or any other investigation.
“In that case, investigations into that particular person (Azzopardi) did not lead to anything, therefore I had no problem working with him.”
“I was not investigating the firm itself, but a person in that firm,” he added.
Before moving to the anti-money laundering unit, Tabone was part of the police’s drug squad. He said people from all strata of society are increasingly using drugs, particularly cocaine.
'It needs to become harder for a person to access drugs'
“The drugs problem in Gozo is something I cannot stay quiet about,” he said.
“More education not to use drugs is important, but we need to start with more police enforcement. It needs to become harder for a person to access drugs.”
The former police officer called for the introduction of a police drugs squad specifically for Gozo.
Besides drugs, Tabone said another problem Gozo is facing is poor road maintenance.
“There has been almost no investment from the Labour government in Gozitan roads, except for a few months before the election when they started fixing a few roads,” he said.
He pointed out that projects the PL government undertook, such as the new road between Nadur and Qala, took far longer and cost more than expected.
Tabone pointed to ongoing works on the road connecting Victoria with Marsalforn, which has left the seaside area popular for dining less accessible from the Gozitan capital.
“We are entering the second summer where the road is closed, and the minister is saying it will take until December for works to be complete. I believe it will take longer,” he said.
He said restaurants in Marsalforn are closing shop because of the inaccessibility.