Angelo Gafà like the rest of us is reading the information being published by Times of Malta, The Shift, and their international media partners. Unlike the rest of us he very likely knew all of this information since before he became Police Commissioner. But now we know too and we know he knows.

Angelo Gafà must now decide, under the watchful eye of the public, whether to arrest and charge Joseph Muscat and the Panama Gang over the hospitals swindle. He will take out a piece of paper like he was taught to do in primary school when facing difficult choices. He’ll draw a line down the middle and scribble headlines on the two columns. On one side he will list ‘Reasons to arrest and charge Joseph Muscat’ and on the other ‘Reasons not to arrest and charge Joseph Muscat’.

This will be the list of reasons not to arrest Joseph Muscat.

  • Joseph Muscat might resist arrest and mobilise allies, perhaps armed, to prevent being taken into custody.
  • Supporters of Joseph Muscat in the Labour Party might blame Robert Abela for their hero’s fate causing internal strife within the ruling party.
  • The police may no longer be able to avoid acting on other corruption scandals, particularly Electrogas, Egrant, and Pilatus Bank widening the opening in the can of worms.
  • The arrest would embarrass Judge Giovanni Grixti who ruled Repubblika had no right to kickstart an inquiry into the hospitals swindle because they couldn’t prove the crime.
  • This episode would set the precedent that the initiative of a civil society organisation could lead to criminal action against politicians, even politicians protected by the police.
  • His own job, Angelo Gafà’s, would be in serious jeopardy making enemies of his former protectors, his minister and prime minister.
  • Maniacal propagandists like Emanuel Cuschieri could, in desperation, mobilise crowds to “liberate” Joseph Muscat and his associates.
  • The arrest would lend credibility to Repubblika, which is his, Angelo Gafà’s, most prominent and persistent critic.
  • The incident might prove politically advantageous to the PN.

This will be the list of reasons to arrest Joseph Muscat.

  • The evidence suggests that Joseph Muscat led a criminal conspiracy, took bribes, and laundered the proceeds.

Angelo Gafà must decide which reasons are relevant to his oath office and which are not. Crunch time.