Repubblika is demanding the resignation of police commissioner Angelo Gafa.

The police chief has continuously failed to take action against corrupt politicians and business people and has fostered a culture of division and injustice within the force, the civil society NGO said on Wednesday evening.

Repubblika president Robert Aquilina was speaking at a protest in front of the police headquarters in Floriana. He stood in front of a large banner that was rolled out at the depot entrance, reading "Irreżenja" (Resign).

PHOTO: Matthew Mirabelli.

"Up till now we were hopeful he would do his duty and right the wrongs of his predecessors, but after two years of inaction, we completely lost hope and the only honourable way forward for Gafa would be to resign," Aquilina said.

"The police force has remained in the same state that the public inquiry on the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia found it. It is still a Force of impunity, omerta, friends of friends, tolerance to corruption and inaction in the face of rampant criminality."

PHOTO: Matthew Mirabelli.

Activists gathered before him, holding placards expressing solidarity with honest police officers, calling out divisions and injustices within the police force and demanding that Gafa and deputy police commissioner Sandra Mamo quit.

PHOTO: Matthew Mirabelli.

Aquilina said that in two years as police commissioner, Gafa failed to charge Joseph Muscat, Konrad Mizzi, Keith Schembri, Edward Scicluna and Chris Cardona.

He said Gafa also failed to charge officers that were caught helping criminals from within the force, namely Silvio Valletta, Ian Abdilla, Ray Aquilina and Lawrence Cutajar.

He said Gafa knew that someone within the force was preventing police from taking action on Iosif Galea and he did nothing about it.

"Gafa refused to continue investigating cases that were undergoing a magisterial inquiry, despite knowing very well that he had a duty to carry on with his own investigations," Aquilina said.

"Following the Egrant inquiry, he had to investigate and charge Karl Cini. He hasn't. Following the Pilatus bank inquiry, he had to charge the bank owner and directors, and he hasn't done that either."

Aquilina said that bar a few police officers in Gafa's inner circle, the rest of the force is falling victim to his "vindictive transfers" and attitude towards them. He said most of them are losing hope but urged them to remain in the force and continue to do the right thing.

PHOTO: Matthew Mirabelli.

Police subject of parliament speech

Simultaneously in parliament, PN MP and home affairs shadow minister Joe Giglio was also calling for more justice and transparency with regards to the investigations into why Iosif Galea was allowed to leave the country multiple times while there was a European arrest warrant issued against him.

Giglio said it was wise for Minister Byron Camilleri to accept the Opposition's request to take the investigation before the police complaints board because it did not make sense for the police to investigate themselves.

He said he worked with the board several times during his career and can vouch for their effort to do a good job, despite the restrictions they sometimes face.

"However, we need to go further. We need to know the terms of reference and the timeframes that the board was given and we need Minister Camilleri to vow to publish the final report and its conclusions," Giglio told parliament.