Thirteen Police Officers Return to Active Duty Despite Overtime Fraud Accusations
Thirteen police officers accused of overtime fraud in the traffic section have been returned to active duty in April and assigned to a new unit in Paceville.
Thirteen Police Officers Return to Active Duty Despite Overtime Fraud Accusations
Thirteen police officers facing criminal charges related to the overtime scandal in the traffic section have been returned to active duty within the police corps.
The officers were reinstated in April and assigned to a new police unit in Paceville, despite still facing court procedures regarding allegations that they received payment for overtime work they never carried out.
A police spokesman confirmed to Times of Malta that the group includes one inspector, one sergeant major, three sergeants and eight constables. The majority were assigned to the Needs Protection Team in Paceville, whilst the inspector was transferred to district police.
This development came after reports that ex-police sergeant Norman Xuereb, whom a court described as the "mastermind" behind the scheme, had also returned to the police corps earlier in the year. Xuereb was subsequently suspended again after being sentenced to five years imprisonment.
According to the court's findings, Xuereb defrauded approximately €53,000 through the fraudulent overtime scheme.
The scandal dates back to 2019, when a whistleblower exposed an alleged system in which traffic officers claimed overtime payments for traffic management duties that investigators later discovered were never carried out.
The investigation led to the arrest and prosecution of a number of members of the Traffic Section, with various cases still ongoing before the courts.
Police said that the precautionary suspensions of the officers had already been revoked by the Public Service Commission in 2024 and that their reassignment was carried out according to established procedures.
However, the decision drew criticism amongst officers, with questions raised about why individuals facing serious criminal charges were allowed to return to active duties whilst other suspended officers remain separated.
Source: Lovin Malta