Twelve serving police offers have joined the traffic branch, which has been depleted by the arrest of a majority of its members as part of an investigation into overtime fraud. 

Times of Malta revealed the investigation on February 11. Since then, police said 28 officers had been suspended and seven had retired. The unit used to be composed of some 50 officers.

Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri told the media on Monday that 12 officers had applied to join the traffic branch after a call within the police corps, and they were currently receiving specialized training. More officers would be engaged following the completion of the training.

Camilleri told journalists that he hoped investigations into the scandal would be concluded “in the coming weeks” and that those found guilty of any wrongdoing would be brought to justice.

He pointed out that besides the internal police investigation and magisterial inquiry, he has ordered the Internal Audit and Investigation Department to audit all other sectors of the police force.

Photo: Jonathan Borg

Camilleri made his comments when he attended a ceremony in Senglea where 23 new cars were handed to the district police. 

The cars, Camilleri said, had cost €475,000 and were environmentally friendly as they produced lower emissions.

This, he said, was the first time that district police had a new and modern fleet of vehicles. Up until recently, new cars were given to the corps’ specialised branches and eventually handed down to district police at the end of their lifetime.

“As a government we are committed to strengthening the district police because they are the first point of reference for our communities,” Camilleri said.

He said other major changes currently underway in the police force included the way the police commissioner is appointed and the building of two new police stations.

“Our goal is that in the coming months, the police force will have a strategy of transformation in place so that we can have a clear plan of which direction we will be taking the force in the coming years," Camilleri added.