Video: Victim says beaten at police HQ

The family of Nicholas Azzopardi, who allegedly died in hospital after being beaten by policemen, said this afternoon that they had a video recording of Mr Azzopardi giving his version of events on his deathbed, where he says he was severely beaten.

The comments were made two hours after the government announced it had launched an independent inquiry into the circumstances leading to Mr Azzopardi's death.

Mr Azzopardi was reported by the police to have escaped from police headquarters and suffered fatal injuries when he jumped over a wall. He died on April 22. The family claim he was beaten by policemen and then dumped.

The government said early this afternoon that Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici had appointed Judge Albert Manche’ to head the inquiry.

He will examine police actions form the moment of Mr Azzopardi's arrest up to his passing away. Mr Azzopardi had been questioned at police headquarters over a familial issue.

The inquiry will also examine whether there was police negligence or abuse of power as well as any ancillary matters.

The inquiry was invited to make recommendations as it deems fit.

A magisterial inquiry is also under way.

Meanwhile Mr Azzopardi’s father Joe and his brother Reno in a press conference this afternoon published a video showing exceprts of the comments given by Mr Azzopardi.

Joe Azzopardi said that when he had examined his son’s body after he died, he found a large number of bruises particularly around the back of the head but also his right side and buttocks, that developed while Nicholas was in hospital. He said it did not make sense that Nicholas has bruises on the front and back of the body if he had fallen, as was claimed.

He said the family had made strong appeals for Nicholas to receive protection in hospital, but this was never provided.

Dr Toni Abela, the family’s defence lawyer, said that while one could not at this stage say that Mr Azzopardi had been beaten, the circumstances so indicated, and the inquiry was therefore needed.

Mr Joe Azzopardi pointed out that among those who had heard his son give his full version of events was lawyer Raphael Fenech Adami.

The press conference was held at the the offices of MediaToday, which broke the story last Sunday.

The words said by Nicholas Azzopardi in the video excerpt are:

Li gara it-Tlieta filghaxija ircevejt telephone biex immur id-depot il-Furjana. Waslet qabli m'ommha u t-tifla ma PS24. Dak il-hin ma rajt lil hadd minnhom. It-tfal ma rajt lil hadd minnhom ghax...mal-kunjata u mat-tifla, u inzilt isfelt u qlajt xeba tal-beati pawli...