The revocation of a policeman’s Officer of the Year award, after it emerged he had a history of domestic violence, has sparked other officers to seek the recognition.

Times of Malta is informed that after the award was withdrawn last week, the police authorities received claims from officers insisting that they too had committed heroic acts that remained unrecognised.

The police also launched an internal investigation after one of the officers who expected to be rewarded put up a Facebook post saying the award was granted on grounds of favouritism.

The decision to revoke the award was taken after the Times of Malta asked the Home Affairs Minister and the police force whether it was aware of the recipient’s background.

One officer posted on Facebook accusing the force of favouritism

PC Saviour Chircop was presented with the Officer of the Year award a fortnight ago after he disarmed a knife-wielding man who was attacking a pensioner. At the time, the officer was off duty.

Read: Off-duty policeman who disarmed man named Officer of the Year

However, it transpired that PC Chircop had appeared in court twice, charged with domestic violence. In both instances, the proceedings came to a sudden halt when his wife informed the magistrate she was not willing to proceed with the case against her husband.

PC Chircop took to Facebook yesterday to publicly thank the top echelons of the police force, who, he said, had given him back the certificate of merit that accompanied the award.

A spokeswoman for the Home Affairs Ministry specified when contacted that the officer had been given the certificate since the heroic act did in fact take place. She insisted the Officer of the Year award had been revoked permanently.

The domestic violence incidents in which PC Chircop was involved took place in 2008 and 2011. In both cases, he was charged with injuring his wife, assaulting, threatening and harassing her and causing her to fear that violence would be used against her.

The officer was further charged in both cases with committing a crime he was duty-bound to prevent.

This information emerged soon after the resignation of assistant police commissioner Mario Tonna after his partner filed a report of domestic abuse.

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