At least three members of the traffic police unit arrested as part of an investigation into an alleged overtime racket have been cleared and are back patrolling the streets, with sources saying many other officers were not expected to be charged with any crimes.

Sources involved in the months-long investigation told Times of Malta they had cleared a number of officers of the 37 who had been arrested earlier this year.

It is understood the investigation is now focusing on the ringleaders and serial offenders.  While the bulk of the original suspects remain under police bail, the sources said many would not be charged.

These could amount to as many as half of them, although it was still too early to tell.

At least three officers previously under investigation have already been reinstated and are back on their bikes patrolling the streets.

The Economic Crimes Unit has been building a case of money laundering against a number of the officers involved in the alleged racket.  Charges of fraud are also likely to be brought against them but it is not clear when the investigation will conclude.

In February, Times of Malta had exclusively revealed how a whistleblower in the traffic section had spoken up about the alleged abuse, which had been going on for months. It is understood he has since faced threats from his colleagues about speaking out.

A lengthy investigation found that several members of the corps had been claiming overtime for jobs they never reported for or carried out. They also used a ‘fixer’ who would arrange off-the-books work for them.

Seven officers resigned, including Walter Spiteri, the superintendent who led the section, and 37 officers were originally arrested.

Opposition MP Jason Azzopardi took to Facebook to slam the police’s economic investigators over the decision to pursue the money laundering angle.

He said he had long been informed that Assistant Commissioner Ian Abdilla had decided to add money laundering charges to the long list of alleged offences committed by the traffic officers. 

This, he said, was intended to increase the number of money laundering prosecutions opened by the police, which had been the subject of criticism by international experts Moneyval.

The Council of Europe’s money-laundering experts in September gave Malta just over a year to get its act together or face potential blacklisting as a financial jurisdiction.

Sources said that every two weeks, the police were extending the police bail issued for the officers being investigated.

They said that regular interrogations were being held, with a group of officers called in on Monday and Tuesday of this week.