More than half of Malta's traffic police force was arrested on Tuesday for suspected overtime fraud, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/malta-robert-abela-set-to-become-new-pm-as-joseph-muscat-steps-down-273792">reportedly forcing officers</a> to draw up emergency plans to ensure they have enough police to put on the streets.

Police said some 30 members of the unit, which numbers about 50, were <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/maltese-prime-minister-announces-plans-to-step-down-265627">being questioned</a> by the Economic Crimes Unit over <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/maltese-prime-minister-joseph-muscat-announces-step-down-265739">accusations </a>they had filed for hundreds of hours of overtime that they did not carry out over at least three years.

Some of the officers also <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/maltas-ruling-party-lawmakers-back-embattled-prime-minister-265622">face accusations</a> they misappropriated fuel and used it for their private vehicles. Police sources said former traffic police now working in other sections of the force had been asked to return to their old duties.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/malta-protesters-block-entry-to-prime-ministers-office-267243">Malta protesters block entry to prime minister's office</a>

Despite this, motorists said there were noticeably fewer police directing traffic on Tuesday morning. Prime Minister Robert Abela said it was good that the police were investigating their people.

Malta is the smallest nation in the European Union and has been rocked in recent years by allegations of widespread corruption, cronyism and financial wrongdoing amongst both the political and business elite.

Abela was sworn in as prime minister last month after his predecessor resigned over his handling of investigations into the murder of anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. 
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More than half of Malta's traffic police force was arrested on Tuesday for suspected overtime fraud, reportedly forcing officers to draw up emergency plans to ensure they have enough police to put on the streets.

More than half of Malta's traffic police force was arrested on Tuesday for suspected overtime fraud, reportedly forcing officers to draw up emergency plans to ensure they have enough police to put on the streets. Police said some 30 members of the unit, which numbers about 50, were being questioned by the Economic Crimes Unit over accusations they had filed for hundreds of hours of overtime that they did not carry out over at least three years. Some of the officers also face accusations they misappropriated fuel and used it for their private vehicles. Police sources said former traffic police now working in other sections of the force had been asked to return to their old duties. Also Read: Malta protesters block entry to prime minister's office Despite this, motorists said there were noticeably fewer police directing traffic on Tuesday morning. Prime Minister Robert Abela said it was good that the police were investigating their people. Malta is the smallest nation in the European Union and has been rocked in recent years by allegations of widespread corruption, cronyism and financial wrongdoing amongst both the political and business elite. Abela was sworn in as prime minister last month after his predecessor resigned over his handling of investigations into the murder of anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

50 per cent of Malta's traffic police sent to jail over corruption charges

Maltese lawmakers voted on Wednesday to legalise same-sex marriage on the Roman Catholic Mediterranean island, fulfilling Prime Minister Joseph Muscat&#39;s campaign promise to make this the first law brought before parliament in his new term.

The law, which drew cross-party support, removes words including as &quot;husband&quot;, &quot;wife&quot;, &quot;mother&quot; and &quot;father&quot; from the Marriage Act and replaces them with the gender-neutral &quot;spouse&quot;, &quot;parent who gave birth&quot; and &quot;parent who did not give birth&quot;.

Muscat said such wording was needed to avoid categorising any member of society. He rejected accusations that this could spell the end to &quot;Mother&#39;s Day&quot; or &quot;Father&#39;s Day&quot;, saying such suggestions were &quot;laughable&quot;.

Muscat won a second term in office on June 3 and had vowed to reinforce his call for equality in society.

Once a staunchly conservative nation, Malta has been steadily adopting more progressive legislation in recent years. In 2011, the country voted in a referendum to allow divorce, and in 2014 it approved civil partnerships.

Malta was the 24th country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage with Tuesday&#39;s vote coming just two weeks after German lawmakers approved a similar measure in June.

The opposition Nationalist Party backed the introduction of same-sex marriage, despite fierce criticism from some conservatives, who said it marked a damaging departure from the party&#39;s Christian-Democratic principles.

&quot;You have pushed the party into a lose-lose situation and it seems many of you cannot even see it,&quot; said former finance minister Tonio Fenech, who is no longer a member of parliament.

In the end, only one opposition lawmaker voted against the bill, while 66 parliamentarians supported it. There were no abstentions.

Opposition leader Simon Busuttil said his party backed the law because society was changing and because it did not alter anything from the civil partnerships law which gave civil partners the same rights as married couples.

The Malta Gay Rights Movement celebrated the new law with a party attended by hundreds in a square outside the prime minister&#39;s office in the capital, Valletta.

Malta was the 24th country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage with Tuesday's vote coming just two weeks after German lawmakers approved a similar measure in June

Maltese lawmakers voted on Wednesday to legalise same-sex marriage on the Roman Catholic Mediterranean island, fulfilling Prime Minister Joseph Muscat's campaign promise to make this the first law brought before parliament in his new term. The law, which drew cross-party support, removes words including as "husband", "wife", "mother" and "father" from the Marriage Act and replaces them with the gender-neutral "spouse", "parent who gave birth" and "parent who did not give birth". Muscat said such wording was needed to avoid categorising any member of society. He rejected accusations that this could spell the end to "Mother's Day" or "Father's Day", saying such suggestions were "laughable". Muscat won a second term in office on June 3 and had vowed to reinforce his call for equality in society. Once a staunchly conservative nation, Malta has been steadily adopting more progressive legislation in recent years. In 2011, the country voted in a referendum to allow divorce, and in 2014 it approved civil partnerships. Malta was the 24th country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage with Tuesday's vote coming just two weeks after German lawmakers approved a similar measure in June. The opposition Nationalist Party backed the introduction of same-sex marriage, despite fierce criticism from some conservatives, who said it marked a damaging departure from the party's Christian-Democratic principles. "You have pushed the party into a lose-lose situation and it seems many of you cannot even see it," said former finance minister Tonio Fenech, who is no longer a member of parliament. In the end, only one opposition lawmaker voted against the bill, while 66 parliamentarians supported it. There were no abstentions. Opposition leader Simon Busuttil said his party backed the law because society was changing and because it did not alter anything from the civil partnerships law which gave civil partners the same rights as married couples. The Malta Gay Rights Movement celebrated the new law with a party attended by hundreds in a square outside the prime minister's office in the capital, Valletta.

Maltese lawmakers vote to legalise same-sex marriage

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50 per cent of Malta's traffic police sent to jail over corruption charges

Maltese lawmakers vote to legalise same-sex marriage