‘I’m Surrendering!’: Mount Carmel Worker Beaten By Transport Malta Officials Reveals Viral Video’s Disturbing Details
A healthcare worker who was filmed being beaten by Transport Malta officials at night while prone on the ground has revealed what exactly happened that fateful evening.
The man, Indian national Anoob George Thomas, a healthcare worker at Mount Carmel Hospital, was in court today as the two TM officials accused of beating him, Transport Malta Enforcement Officers Ivan Cassar, 42, from Żabbar and Rene Antonelli, 38 from Qrendi, pleaded not guilty to a slew of charges.
In a courtroom presided over by Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech, the pair were charged with inflicting severe physical suffering on a person for the purpose of punishing him for an act that he or a third person committed or was suspected of having committed, malicious violation of their official duties, illegally detaining the victim and failing to inform the police of his detention without delay, MaltaToday reported.
Ironically, they were also charged with speeding, which is the reason they chased Thomas in the first place.
The accused, who had turned themselves in, were only identified after Lovin Malta published a video that a nearby resident had filmed himself and sent to this newsroom.
In court, Inspector Ian Vella said that the investigation that had been launched that led to the indictment of the officers began after Lovin Malta Deputy Editor Tim Diacono contacted officials with footage of the beating.
This led to officials obtaining further details, even identifying the two officers filmed in the video. A separate TM official also identified the two men.
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Thomas, who lives in Marsa, told court what happened that evening in his own words.
“I got out of my car. I left both my hands up,” he said, noting that no one told him what to do but he put his hands in the air anyway. “I turned to the Transport Malta person and asked him ‘what is the next procedure?’ He told me to lie down.”
Thomas pointed towards Cassar as the official who had instructed him to lie down.
“Then someone came from behind and started to beat me.”
The entire incident had apparently started because Thomas was overspeeding in his vehicle – he said he had just received a worrying phone call from his sister asking for help and that was all that was on his mind.
He identified Antonelli in court as the one who had been “sitting on my back, pressing with something heavy… he hit me on my shoulder, head, leg and kicked me in my ribs”.
“First I asked to talk with one person (Cassar). I didn’t see [who was beating me]. After I wake up I saw the two,” he continued. Thomas explained that he suffered from pain in his ribs for a while following the beating.
When asked by lawyers why he had taken a month to medically check the injuries, he said: “My situation was: is my sister safe or not? I see she was safe. I am not bothered about that thing, I am bothered about my sister.”
Thomas was overheard telling officers ““I’m surrendering.” However, that didn’t stop them from getting physically aggressive with him, with the beating only ending when other officers intervened.
Following the testimonies, court issued a protection order in favour of both Thomas and his sister-in-law, Aswathy Thomas.
The two officials were placed under a bill of indictment. They have also been suspended from Transport Malta.
What do you make of this controversial case making it to court?
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