Questionnaire Malta
I.2 Through what methods?
Amongst the duties of the police is the
investigation of offences having as a final aim the eventual bringing of
offenders, whether principals or accomplices, before the competent judicial
authorities as soon as possible together with all the evidence that may have
been collected in respect of the offence (sects. 346 and 356 CC Chapter 9). As
a result of these duties, the police cannot channel an offence aside. What happens
in practice is that unless a competent Court delivers a verdict of guilt
against an individual for having committed such an offence, the relative police
investigation is considered and is actually kept on going. It must also be
noted that although an individual may have been declared guilty by a Court of
having committed such an offence, if the police believe that others may have
been involved in any manner whatsoever, in such a case the investigation is
still kept going with the aim of identifying such other persons.
