Police investigate online report on Birzebbuga road incident

The police are investigating an e-mail making the rounds which claims that an immigrant banged on the bonnet of a car driving through Hal Far.

The investigations will also try to establish the veracity of claims that the police effectively turned a blind eye to the incident.

Allegedly, the case dates back to August 4, when a 52-year-old man was driving to Birzebbuga from Hal Far Road to Tal-Gebel Road together with his wife and mother.

He reported that, out of the blue, three immigrants stopped in the middle of the road and he had no choice but to stop and ask them to move, while locking the windows of the car and flashing the lights.

Two of them did move but the third one held on to the car's bull-bar and stood there for a while, before hitting the bonnet with his fist, the e-mail quotes the driver as saying.

After resorting to the Birzebbuga police station for help, the driver was purportedly asked whether he would go to Hal Far to identify the persons involved.

A report was drafted and the driver was asked to go back some days later so that the police could assess the damage to the car.

He resorted to the Zejtun police station instead and repeated the story again. The sergeant inspected the car and fingerprints, which, in his opinion, could help to identify the perpetrator.

However, he was later advised he would have to pay Lm3 and collect a report to be handed to the insurance agency.

When he contacted the police headquarters, the sergeant on duty allegedly told him that though he was right to be upset about the incident he should "try to avoid Birzebbuga and Marsa, as, after sunset, both places do not belong to us anymore".