Car rental employee accused of assaulting tourist

A French tourist told police how a man at a car rental threw a pressure plate at her when she refused to pay a fine after she was booked when her car stopped and she had to park it illegally, the Magistrates' Court heard yesterday.

Catherine Galais claimed she was assaulted by Aldo Formosa who threw a car part at her and seriously injured her in the face, even knocking out a tooth, Police Inspector Paul Bond told Magistrate Abigail Lofaro.

Formosa, 27, of Mosta is pleading not guilty to seriously injuring Galais in the face at Hal Ferh Holiday Complex on July 12 at about 8 a.m.

The magistrate had earlier heard Inspector Bond explaining how he was informed that a tourist was taken to the Mosta health centre on July 12 after a man had injured her.

The inspector spoke to Galais who told him that she was residing at the Hal-Ferh complex. She had hired a car from Formosa but it had stopped near Popeye Village so she left it parked there. But she was subsequently booked, Inspector Bond said.

When Formosa received the summons, he went to look for Galais at Hal-Ferh because he wanted her to pay the fine but she refused and told him she had already paid him for the car hire.

Formosa got angry at her refusal and threw the car's pressure plate at her, Inspector Bond said.

Formosa was yesterday granted bail against a personal guarantee of Lm3,000, just before the sitting ended with a ruling by Magistrate Lofaro for indictment.

The case continues.