Court dismisses request for police action

A magistrate yesterday dismissed an application in which a man requested the court to order the police commissioner to take criminal action against two men for attempted murder.

Magistrate Abigail Lofaro dismissed the application filed by Raymond Debono, through his lawyer Robert Abela, after she noted he had not confirmed the police report under oath, as requested by the law.

Debono had filed the application before the Magistrates' Court explaining that he made a report on July 7 in which he asked the Qawra police to take action against Kevin Debono and Marco Mifsud and charge them with having committed several crimes in Qormi on July 6 at about 5.15 p.m.

But, Debono said, although the police proceeded against the two men for the minor charges, they did not take action against them for attempted murder, one of the crimes listed in the report, and this without questioning the main eyewitness.

In the application, Debono said he was willing to confirm the report under oath and testify against the men and he called on the court to order the police commissioner to take action against the two men on all charges.

But Magistrate Lofaro noted that the law specified that such an application could be upheld provided the applicant, Debono in this case, confirmed the report or application under oath before any action on the application was taken.

The magistrate noted that Debono had not done so and therefore she had no alternative but to dismiss his request.