|
Julian Manduca
Giving evidence in court, former police inspector Ivan Portell, who is contesting his removal from the police force in a Constitutional court case instituted against the Prime Minister, described how former Police Commissioner George Grech acted abusively in his regard.
In his affidavit Portelli said he started his life in the police force in 1986 and was first posted as a passport officer at the Malta International Airport. In February 1987, following an internal call from the forensic laboratory, Ivan Portelli said he applied and was selected among those interviewed to be transferred to that section of the force. He was transferred to the division responsible for fingerprints as a scene of crime officer. Portelli remained in that position for nine years, until 1995.
“During these years I worked on many cases, especially ones that were of importance for investigations. The cases included homicides, hold-ups, robberies, drug cases. I was also given responsibility on two separate occasions to carry out forensic examinations abroad with the German police.
“In 1992, following an internal course I was promoted to the grade of sergeant. Subsequently, because of my interest in the work and also because of the experience I gained, I was graded as a senior officer in the department and began lecturing police recruits in the discipline.
Demotion
“It so happened that in 1995 some articles appeared in the Maltese press wherein the forensic laboratory was referred to and it was suggested that it was not being run professionally. For some reason or other the Police Commissioner of the time, George Grech, got it into his head that I was behind these articles and I was transferred to take up the post of sergeant at the Sliema police station.”
Portelli told the court that he spent three years in that position before graduating in criminology in 1999. According to Portelli, following his transfer to Sliema, his relationship with George Grech could have been described as bad.
“In fact in 1997 a call was made for the post of inspectors within the force, and at that time I had a diploma in Police Studies. I was called for a preliminary interview in front of a panel of four people including a representative of the Office of the Prime Minister, a representative from the Education Ministry, the head of the Police Academy and George Grech.
“I was asked one question by each member of the panel, questions related to my qualifications and my experience in the police force and in both areas I was well positioned. However, George Grech asked several questions. Questions that were frivolous and ones which even almost ridiculed my diploma, which, in his words, he said, was worthless.”
Portelli told the court that he immediately realised at that point that he had no chance for the offered position given the attitude adopted by George Grech.
“George Grech had adopted a different attitude with respect to other members of the force,” Portelli said, mentioning Raymond Caruana and Simon Galea, the latter of whom George Grech was a witness to his marriage. Portelli described them as “two people who did not have either the qualifications or the experience of police work that I did, and in fact both Caruana and Galea became inspectors and I did not.”
Stopping investigations
Portelli then went on to describe how later on in his career he was stopped by Grech when investigating a certain Dr Micheal Caruana, known as il-Billy, the same Dr Caruana who is being entrusted with the Fort Chambray project.
Portelli also recounted his trip to Gozo on a yacht with two judges an informer and a person who he had gone to search the previous day. Following that boat trip Portelli was asked to resign and then soon after dismissed. Portelli told the court that he was mentioning these incidents in order to explain “the abusive attitude of George Grech in his regard.”
“This attitude was adopted in several episodes throughout my career and culminated on 3 May, 2001, when I was sent a letter informing me that my employment was terminated. All this indicates the animosity George Grech had in my regard. There were several other incidents, but if I had to list them all my affidavit would be both voluminous and tedious.”
Portelli continued: “Throughout my career I was always honest in carrying out my duties and disciplined, and not a ‘yes’ man. All this goes to show that George Grech’s attitude towards me was abusive and personal, and unlike other members of the police force who were brought before the disciplinary tribunals or criminal courts because of some abuse or deficiency, I was never given the opportunity and fundamental right to rebut what could shed a dubious light on my person.”
Ivan Portelli was giving evidence in a case instituted against the Prime Minister for unfair dismissal from the police force.
Two years after this episode, Portelli told the court, there was once again a call for applications for the post of inspectors and he applied again. This time George Grech was not involved in the choice and was not even at the interview, and I was chosen. “Following a year-long course at the university I was promoted to the position of inspector.” That was in July of 1999 and I was posted in the department of economic crime.
“My position fell directly under that of Assistant Commissioner Michael Cassar. All the time I spent I was well respected by my colleagues (inspectors in the same division) and also by AC Cassar.
“In fact Cassar often praised the professionalism of my work and my organisational skills in the way I had organised the division. So much so that when an inspector retired, I took on all his duties.” Portelli told the court that he had the duties of two inspectors and those included duties related to the customs department and related court work; fraud in government departments; piracy; fraud in general; fraud in the media and via internet; and crimes related to the spreading of counterfeit money.
“Today these duties are spread between several inspectors and not one.”
|
