Robert Abela Says He’s Friends With Inspector Allegedly Transferred For Work On Anonymous Letter Case
Prime Minister Robert Abela has said he is personal friends with an inspector who was allegedly transferred for his work on a case involving vicious anonymous letters sent to politicians and activists.
Questioned by Lovin Malta today whether he considers Kevin Pulis’ transfer to be vindictive, Abela said he is unaware of the allegation but that the inspector is a personal friend of his.
Times of Malta reported today that Pulis had been transferred to the Valletta police station to do “basic duties” following a clash with his superiors over the coordination of different investigations, including one which led to the arrest of Joseph Mary Borg.
It later emerged that Inspector Kurt Farrugia, who worked with Pulis on the Borg case, was also recently transferred to the Żabbar police station.
Borg was arrested last November and charged with sending anonymous threatening letters to Repubblika president Robert Aquilina, as well as PN MPs Beppe Fenech Adami, Jason Azzopardi, Ryan Callus and Karol Aquilina over the years.
“Week after week, month after month, year after year, these people had to endure such threatening letters, fearful of opening their letterbox,” Pulis said when prosecuting Borg.
Robert Aquilina described this allegation as “shocking”, stating that Pulis, along with another inspector and former assistant commissioner were determined to solve the case.
“During [Borg’s] interrogation, it emerged that he had acquired information about my children by watching us at a number of churches during Sunday mass,” he said. “I was sincerely impressed by the commitment and skill shown by these three police officers.”
“I want to make it clear that if the police commissioner punishes police officers who protect us out of a sense of duty, he will be picking a bone with us. This is vindictive action against an officer because he did his job and took action against people who threatened myself and others.”
Jason Azzopardi lashed out at police commissioner Angelo Gafa, denouncing him as “vindictive”, “a Castille lackey” and “a partisan who prioritises the colour red over the uniform and the oath he took”.
“This inspector [Pulis], along with another inspector [Kurt Farrugia] and an assistant commissioner played a crucial role in uncovering who was behind these letters and in bringing them to justice.”
“I know that pressure was imposed on them from the very top to treat these accusations with kids’ gloves, but they did their duty and arrested the suspect because they are honest officers and not lackeys.”
He said one of the anonymous letters Borg allegedly sent him included offensive language against “the dust of his late parents’ bones”.
In a statement, police said that the transfers of Pulis and Farrugia to the Valletta and Żabbar followed an update to the district confines at the start of the year and insisted their change in job cannot be classified as demotions.
“One must clarify that the role of a district sergeant is an investigative one and it is totally wrong to claim that inspectors carrying out district functions are ‘demoted’ or relegated to doing ‘basic’ work,” the police said.
Cover photo: Left: Prime Minister Robert Abela, Right: Inspector Kevin Pulis during a 2017 interview on NET Live
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