Jason Azzopardi this evening in Parliament revealed the name of the police officer who is suspected by senior police staff to have tipped off the Degiorgios ahead of their arrest presumably to give them sufficient notice to dispose of evidence prior to their arrest. Alfred and George Degiorgio together with Vince Cassar are alleged to have been assassins hired to kill Daphne Caruana Galizia.
The name of the officer is Aldo Cassar (PS88). He was at the time working for the intelligence section of the criminal investigations department of the police, a sensitive and strategic position in the fight against organised crime. There was no formal investigation or disciplinary process after this revelation but Aldo Cassar was transferred out of the intelligence section and to the rapid intervention unit of the police.
Aldo Cassar has some history. Until June 2013 he worked at the Airport police station overseeing immigration.
There he hit the news when he was caught escorting a Libyan person off a plane and, short-circuiting all immigration procedures, putting him on another plane later boarded by Joseph Muscat and a Labour Party delegation he was leading to Libya when still in Opposition.
https://youtu.be/rHQRKnjfZE8
Aldo Cassar was suspected of other immigration related infractions and was transferred to the economic crimes section in June 2013.
Aldo Cassar was never prosecuted for any activity and continues to serve as a police officer.