Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/705249
3 maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 20 JULY 2016 News Minister disagrees with MPs electing police commissioner PAUL COCKS THE government is planning amendments to the laws regu- lating the police force in a bid to share decision-making and strategy planning with the Com- missioner of Police, and have the force update on its mentality and policing approach. Home affairs minister Carmelo Abela announced the findings of a questionnaire carried out among police officers in 2016, which listed one priority among others to determine proper staff- ing levels at police stations and departments. Abela said his biggest concerns were the fact that the police had never had any strategy or direc- tion and that the police commis- sioner currently had sole author- ity to set the direction of such an important institution. The government will be intro- ducing a chief executive officer for this role. But Abela said that employing a new strategy in the police corps would be impossible with a pro- posal by the Opposition to have the Commissioner of Police ap- pointed by a two-thirds major- ity in parliament. "I really do not think that is the right way for- ward," he said. 650 police officers – out of 2,000 serving members – sub- mitted completed questionnaires that were sent to all members of the force, to understand is- sues faced by the officers and the changes most desired by the of- ficers themselves. Criminologist Prof. Saviour Formosa said that the survey's main findings revolved on three central issues: modernisation, functionality and knowledge – or intelligence-based – approach. "Having a CEO will vastly affect the functionality of the force as will the functional displacement of 300 to 600 officers who could realistically be released to work on real policing," Prof. Formosa said. The findings also revealed that there was no skills and knowledge audit of the force members to en- sure that placements are relative to the efficiency and effectiveness expected from the police force. The counselling and psycho- logical perspective of the training that officers received should also be revamped to ensure trauma reduction and rapid take-up. "The police force currently has no strategy whatsoever, nothing resembling a business plan for the next two, three or five years, let alone long-term solutions. The aim of the strategy is to move the force from a post-colonial men- tality to a modern and dynamic approach to policing." The force itself would deter- mine whether the strategy would succeed, Prof. Formosa said, as it was yet to be seen how the 2,000 members of the corps would em- brace change. Home affairs minister Carmelo Abela (second left) with Prof. Saviour Formosa (second from right) Architects' chamber says professional bodies should appoint Lands' governors MATTHEW VELLA THE Chamber of Architects has called on the government to heed a proposal by the Opposi- tion for a new governors' board for the Lands Authority to be appointed by the respective professions' chambers. Bill 166 proposes the estab- lishment of a new Lands Au- thority that will be guided by a board of governors which will be appointed by the minister re- sponsible for lands. These will include three pro- fessionals, an architect, lawyer and an auditor 'of recognised standing.' "The Kamra tal-Periti strongly recommends and supports the proposal that such professionals should be nominated by their respective Chambers, and not appointed directly by the min- ister," the Chamber said. "This will ensure independ- ence of these professionals from the government of the day. This proposal will also ensure a dou- ble level of accountability of these professionals towards the board of governors and also to- wards the profession which they represent." Nationalist MP Ryan Callus has said in the House that MPs should also not be part of the 10-man board, of whom seven members will be directly ap- pointed by the minister or the prime minister. "Such an appointment will on- ly further political interference in this department," Callus said, who proposed that the board's architect, lawyer and auditor be appointed by the professional bodies regulating them. "When a politician shares responsibility with the pro- fessional bodies, we would be sharing power – as the PN gov- ernment did with local councils – and showing more transpar- ency." MP Ryan Callus believes MPs should not be on the new Lands Authority's board of governors IIP investors 'can opt out of inclusion in electoral register' MAT THEW AGIUS IN V ESTORS buying a Maltese passport under the IIP pro- gramme can opt out of being in- cluded in the electoral register, a representative of the Electoral Commission has told a court. This emerged as Electoral Commission employee Savio Borg testified before Magistrate Gabriella Vella in one of the lawsuits filed by the Nationalist Party calling for the striking off the electoral register of 91 new additions, claiming that they do not satisf y the requirements. The applications of Lilli- ana Edvardovna Demirchyan, from Armenia, Masoud Manla, from Syria, and Irina Petrovna Drobot, from Russia, were found to be incomplete. PN legal representative Paul Borg Olivier pointed out that the right to vote was enshrined in the constitution, removable only when shown that the per- son failed to satisf y the resi- dency requirement or one of the other requirements mentioned in Article 57 of the Constitu- tion. He posited the argument that the option of not appearing in the electoral register could open the door to abuse, for example by persons granted power of at- torney on behalf of elderly and vulnerable people. He asked Borg about a form given to applicants containing an option asking whether or not they want to be included in the electoral register. From the wit- ness stand, Borg confirmed that he had seen this form. As the law currently stands, no Maltese-born citizen has this option, argued Borg Olivier, say- ing it was "dangerous as it gives an IIP citizen more rights than other citizens."