Police Officer Fined €20,000 for Unauthorized Use of Police Database

A police constable, Adeleide Ellul, 42, from Rabat, was fined €20,000 for unauthorized use of the police database. The court found that Ellul accessed police records unrelated to any investigation, violating internal protocols.

The case came to light during court proceedings against a man when questions arose about how confidential information reached his defense team. Investigations revealed that Ellul, who was in a relationship with the man, had accessed the database to search for details about the individual who filed the complaint against him.

Ellul claimed she looked up the information out of personal curiosity, as she had rented property to those individuals, and denied passing the details to anyone else. However, Magistrate Kevan Azzopardi concluded that her actions breached police trust and societal expectations of law enforcement integrity.

Although the court found insufficient evidence to prove she shared the information with third parties, Ellul was found guilty of unauthorized access. She was ordered to pay the fine in monthly installments of €560. The court did not impose a general interdiction, noting that the penalties did not exceed €23,293 or four years of imprisonment.

The case highlighted significant lapses in investigative procedures, as the prosecution failed to question key individuals, including Ellul’s partner and his lawyer. Nonetheless, the magistrate emphasized the seriousness of her misconduct, stating that her actions betrayed the trust placed in her by the police force and the public.