Former top cop now works for a lawyer his unit once probed

A former police officer who until recently led anti-money laundering investigations is now working with a lawyer his unit had once taken in for questioning over suspected financial foul play.

Frank Anthony Tabone was a superintendent at the financial crimes investigation department, responsible for the anti-money laundering unit.

Today, he is working with criminal defence lawyer Arthur Azzopardi.

Frank Anthony Tabone appears in a promotional image for Azzopardi, Borg & Associates Advocates.

An experienced officer, Tabone had been mentioned as being a favourite to become assistant commissioner in charge of the entire department. However, he decided to call it quits at the end of June, the latest in a string of departures from one of the toughest postings in the force.

Just a few weeks later, the officer, who graduated as a lawyer in 2018, landed on his feet and is now working at the law firm Abela Borg & Associates. The firm’s managing partner is Azzopardi, a well-known criminal lawyer who had been questioned by Tabone’s unit two years ago.

In November 2020, Azzopardi was among a group of people interviewed as part of a police anti-smuggling crackdown. The lawyer was questioned...