Mini-bus passenger recounts how he was punched during transport strike

A Somali man recounted in court yesterday how during the bus strike last week he was pulled by his hair out of a white (private) mini-bus and punched in the face.

He was testifying in the case against bus driver Francis Cassar, of Cospicua, who is pleading not guilty to forming part of a group whose intention was to commit a crime, causing damage to a vehicle at Crucifix Hill, in Floriana, breaching the public peace at Castille Square, resisting police orders and holding a number of people against their will.

Mini-bus driver Manuel Montanaro said he was taking the Somali worker home on July 15 at about 11.30 p.m. and when he approached the War Memorial in Floriana about 50 people blocked his way, forcing him to stop. The men started rocking the van and he heard somebody tell the men to leave him alone.

Mr Montanaro said he did not know what happened to his passenger.

The Somali man said that when the men were rocking the mini-bus they opened the sliding door and pulled him out by his hair and punched him in the face. He then ran away.

Paramount coach driver Charlie Camilleri testified that earlier that day he had been driving up Crucifix Hill in Floriana when a group of about 50 men blocked the road. He thought they would not attack him as he knew most of them, but they started banging on his coach. A rear view mirror was also removed and was used to hit the windscreen, which broke.

Mr Camilleri said he had only recognised one of the men, Mr Cassar.

Defence Lawyer Giannella Caruana Curran asked Magistrate Tonio Micallef Trigona, presiding over the case, to grant bail to the accused, pointing out that the most important witnesses had now been heard.

After taking the defence argument into consideration, the court told Mr Cassar that a person who allowed emotions to get the better of him would not remain a reasonable human being.

The magistrate granted Mr Cassar bail against a personal guarantee of €5,000 and a deposit of €1,000.