Police commissioner Lawrence Cutajar should resign immediately following his “unacceptable” decision to allow former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri to go on holiday, the Nationalist Party’s home affairs spokesman has said.

Beppe Fenech Adami argued that commissioner Cutajar had again been completely sidelined and used as a “puppet” of the “criminal clique that took hold of Castille”.

Mr Schembri headed overseas on Thursday together with his family for a three-day trip, reportedly to Italy. The former top official was arrested last month in connection with the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia but released without charge. The lead investigator in the case has testified that Mr Schembri is still under investigation.

The man police have charged as the murder mastermind, Yorgen Fenech, claims that Mr Schembri was actually behind the assassination.

Dr Fenech Adami was outraged by the decision to allow Mr Schembri to leave the country.

“It is unacceptable for the police commissioner to give such permission to a homicide suspect who disrupted justice and who leaked sensitive information,” he said as he called for commissioner Cutajar to hand in his resignation immediately.

The police commissioner may well end up being replaced once either Chris Fearne or Robert Abela take over from Joseph Muscat as Labour leader and prime minster next month. Both candidates in the PL leadership race have indicated that they would like to shake up the police force’s leadership.