The police have launched an internal investigation into the cases of two migrants who, eyewitnesses claimed, were brutally beaten by police while restrained in handcuffs during the early hours of Saturday morning.

The investigation was launched after The Times reported yesterday that a Sudanese immigrant was hit and kicked by policemen as he lay defenceless on the ground in Paceville's main square. In a separate incident, an eyewitness reported seeing policemen use excessive force in subduing another migrant.

The migrants, Ismail Abubaker from Sudan and Kaba Konate from Ivory Coast, were arraigned on Sunday and charged with assaulting police officers and violently resisting arrest.

They both pleaded guilty and were given suspended jail sentences of 10 months and eight months respectively.

Yesterday, more witnesses came forward to speak to The Times, including a British citizen who witnessed the incident involving Mr Konate and elaborated on the version which had been given to The Times by Matthew Caruana Galizia.

And in a third incident that came to light, a young Maltese man yesterday claimed he was attacked by a police officer on the same night.

The British citizen, who lives in Malta, asked to remain anonymous because he feared retribution by the officers concerned. He said a black man was pushed in his direction by a policeman as he was walking past Footloose nightclub.

"There were three officers at the scene. One police officer began to push the black man aggressively and in a provocative manner. The man held onto a lamppost and was punched in the left chest and abdomen several times by the officer concerned. The three officers then pulled the man away from the lamppost and he was thrown back into the crowd," he said.

"The black man was not showing physical aggression but he was resisting arrest. The police officer had a cigarette in his hand and was waving it around furiously while attempting to arrest the gentleman," he claimed.

"The man was thrown to the floor twice and two police officers sat on his back handcuffing him while the aggressive policeman kicked the man in his right abdomen at least four times," according to this eyewitness.

He said a bouncer also kicked the handcuffed man several times while he was subdued with handcuffs. At that point some officers intervened to hold back the crowd of visibly shocked onlookers.

The man was then "dragged" to a police van outside Burger King, the anonymous eyewitness said, as he was "beaten into custody".

"I have never seen such a thing before; such blatant disregard and disrespect for a fellow human being by an officer of the law is beyond me," he said.

The account echoes that by Mr Caruana Galizia who said that several policemen jumped the migrant and threw him into a van "like a sack of potatoes" without any questioning, following an argument he had with a Maltese man which had not yet turned physical.

The time and place of both accounts tally with that of Mr Konate's arrest as described by the police.

Yesterday the police launched an internal inquiry into both cases involving immigrants and even asked The Times for the contact details of the eyewitnesses quoted. With the sources' consent (including that of the anonymous British eyewitness) their names and contact details were handed over.

On Sunday the Home Affairs Ministry said it would not tolerate any irresponsible behaviour by the police force and encouraged the eyewitnesses to come forward.

The police have not answered questions sent to them by The Times over the incidents in question sent to them on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Bogdan Cilia, an 18-year-old from Siġġiewi, contacted The Times to report abusive behaviour by the police in his regard.

Late on Friday night, he said, he lost his mobile phone at Club Sabor. He was told by some people, who had just seen Mr Abubaker being beaten up and arrested by the police outside Burger King, that the migrant had stolen his phone.

He went to the police station to check for himself but later concluded: "I'm sure they were lying because at the police station there was an empty bag near the black man who was chained to a bench, and nothing was found on his person."

Mr Cilia then told the police several times that he would like to report his stolen mobile phone, but the officers at the desk kept telling him they were busy.

Mr Cilia said that while he was waiting outside the police station, a policeman "wearing a summer top but with a police badge showing", parked his car, entered the station angrily, re-emerged and pushed Mr Cilia roughly, throwing him down a flight of about seven steps and slamming him into a wall. Using foul language, he said the boy had got on his nerves.

The policeman left the station at that point but returned later to excuse himself for losing his temper. However, he said that had it been another day, he would have "smashed his face" and not just pushed him.

Mr Cilia tried to file a report again, this time wanting to report that he had been assaulted by a police officer for no apparent reason.

"The police on duty kept telling me that they were busy, despite sitting comfortably at their desk," he claimed.

Another policeman raised his arm menacingly so Mr Cilia left the station in fear.

Mr Cilia said he spoke to his lawyer and will be filing charges because not only was he refused the chance to report his stolen mobile, but he was also assaulted by a police officer.

cperegin@timesofmalta.com, mmicallef@timesofmalta.com