Police Officers Accused Of Tasering And Pepper-Spraying Migrants Sleeping On Ħamrun Streets
Details of the case against three police officers who have been charged with abducting and beating up foreign nationals emerged in court today.
Inspector Omar Zammit took the stand as he explained the police’s investigation into suspended officers Jurgen Falzon, Rica Mifsud Grech and Luca Brincat.
He said the investigation started after a female police officer came forward to report her colleagues at the Ħamrun police station. Two other colleagues supported her and a magisterial inquiry was opened.
During the inquiry, an officer testified that the three accused would often patrol the town to search for migrants sleeping in public and apply taser and pepper spray upon finding them.
Police seized a taser from Mifsud Grech’s police locker and pepper spray from her glove compartment, as well as a taser and penknife from Brincat’s personal bag.
Zammit also testified about other alleged incidents involving Falzon and Brincat.
One of their colleagues, an officer called “Lydon”, testified at the inquiry that he, Falzon and Brincat were on duty when they spotted a drunk migrant in Marsa.
He said that his colleagues got out of the car, slammed the man on the car roof, searched and handcuffed him and bundled him inside the car.
Lydon said they instructed him to drive to a valley in Qormi, which he did, and to turn off his bodycam, which he refused to do until they turned it off for him.
When they arrived at the valley, Falzon and Brincat proceeded to kick and punch the man, with Falzon at one point even throwing a stone at him.
Police traced down the victim, who confirmed that police officers – one well-built and bearded and the other more slightly built – had bundled him into a car and beaten him up.
He confirmed that he recognised Lydon as a community police officer and that this officer didn’t beat him up.
Questioned why he didn’t report the officers to the police, the man asked whether he was expected to file a report at the same station his aggressors work at and said he wouldn’t have been believed.
Lydon also flagged a video that was posted in a group with other community officers showing Brincat using a penknife while interrogating a black man at the Ħamrun police station.
In the video, Brincat allegedly tells the man to stop causing trouble “or else” before making a gesture with the knife as though he would slit his throat.
Magistrate Joe Mifsud is presiding over the case, while lawyers Veronique Dalli, Edmond Cuschieri and Franco Debono are defending the three officers.
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