Malta’s first female assistant commissioner, the lawyer defending Maltese soldiers accused of sabotaging a migrant boat, and union men with deep roots in the police force, are among those expected to make a bid to become the next police commissioner.

Angelo Gafà, Herman Mula, Alexandra Mamo, Sandro Camilleri, Robert Vella, Frankie Sammut, Noel Cutajar, Antoine Casha and Raymond Zammit are believed to be among those considering submitting their nomination, sources say.

On Sunday, Casha told Times of Malta that he would not be applying to fill the post.

Cutajar also said he would not be putting in a bid.  

Meanwhile, sources say Mary Muscat, a lawyer who spent 13 years as an inspector, is also a likely candidate. 

The application deadline for the top post to replace Lawrence Cutajar closes on Monday.

Applicants will then be screened by the Public Service Commission and whittled down to two, with the prime minister putting his preferred option to parliament for a grilling and final vote. 

Government and police sources told Times of Malta that unofficial discussions on the vacancy in recent days had identified a number of candidates expected to throw their hat in the ring for the first ever public call to fill the top job on the force. 

Shortly after taking office in January, Prime Minister Robert Abela had announced that a new system for selecting police chiefs would be rolled out.  

Malta is currently on its sixth police commissioner in seven years as international scrutiny of the police’s work intensified following journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder amid a number of unresolved high-level corruption cases.

Previously, police commissioners were handpicked by the prime minister.  

Previously, police commissioners were handpicked by the prime minister.  

Who are the likely candidates?

Sources say Angelo Gafà, the current chief executive of the police force, is expected to throw his hat in the ring.

Malta is currently on its sixth police commissioner in seven years

Gafà served in the force as an officer, mostly as an inspector, and recently also served in senior positions in the Security Service. Before joining the police, he was also a lieutenant in the Armed Forces of Malta.

Another potential candidate who has shown an interest in the position is lawyer Herman Mula.

Mula was in the headlines recently as he is the lawyer defending a crew of AFM soldiers accused of sabotaging a boat of migrants. He served in the force for 18 years as an inspector before retiring last year. He is the son of the late retired assistant commissioner Bartholomeo Mula.

Assistant Commissioner Alexandra Mamo, responsible for police work in St Julian’s has also shown an interest in becoming police chief, sources say. She was the first woman to be promoted to the rank of AC when she took up the job in 2017 and has served in the force for 29 years.

Perhaps one of the most recognisable household names on the list is Inspector Sandro Camilleri. Having made a name for himself when he helped set up the Police Officers’ Union, Camilleri is a regular on social media and television discussions related to police work. He had already signalled his intention to run for police chief during a television interview back in February. 

Inspector Robert Vella, from another police union, is also being touted among officers and senior government officials as another likely candidate. 

Vella is the former general secretary of the Malta Police Association and serves as an inspector on the seventh district. He recently played a central role in the investigation into a fatal building collapse in Ħamrun.

Another inspector being mentioned among police insiders is Frankie Sammut, the lead investigator at the Immigration Section. He also forms part of the executive of the police association, and is active in lobbying for officer rights. 

Noel Cutajar had been an inspector for some 12 years. Today, he is a lawyer within his own private practice and a member of the Electoral Commission which oversees Malta’s elections and national votes. Sources say he is keen on contesting the post.

On Sunday he said he would not be applying. 

Deputy commissioner Antoine Casha has also been mentioned among insiders as a likely candidate. He was appointed to the position in 2017, and put in charge of legal affairs, finances, information technology and communications. Prior to taking on the position, he had resorted to the courts in a bid to halt the appointment of another deputy commissioner because he felt he had been overlooked in the process.

On Sunday, however, he said he would not be applying for the promotion.  

Retired former Superintendent of Birkirkara Raymond Zammit is also considering contesting the post but sources say he is an outsider in the race.