Police seek to clarify superintendent's Marsa comments

The police have sought to clarify comments by a superintendent about Marsa, saying that in his court submissions the officer had not said that the locality was a no-go zone but that "we should ensure the Maltese are not scared to go to Marsa".

Supt. Silvio Valletta had made the news after he was reported saying in court that the Maltese people were scared to go to Marsa because of the strong immigrant presence.

He was speaking during a hearing in which an 18-year-old Somali admitted to stealing a pair of sunglasses and other items from a car after assaulting a man who had stopped by for a drink. One of the four men who took part in the attack hit the driver over the head with a bottle, while the other three ransacked his car.

"We have reached a point where Maltese people cannot even go to Marsa because they are afraid," Supt. Valletta was reported saying in The Times.

"The victim could not even go out and buy a Coke. With all due respect, we are not in Somalia. If they do not have laws there, we do, and they have to understand this."

Supt. Valletta denied that he had uttered those words as soon as they were published in the media. However, the notes of the two journalists in the courtroom stated otherwise. In a statement yesterday, the police insisted on Supt. Valletta's version. The officer was making his case as the magistrate considered a request by the defence for probation.

The police said: "In his submissions, the inspector (he got promoted that same day) said that we should ensure the Maltese are not scared to go to Marsa."

The officer went on to say that the court should hand down a severe punishment precisely to ensure that Maltese people are not scared to go to Marsa, adding that it is the police's duty to make sure this does not happen.

His words received mixed reactions in the past weeks, with some arguing that his comments verged on the racist and others claiming that some areas of Malta had become scary because "ghettos" were being created.

He was even offered a 'Man of the Year' plaque from members of an online group called 'Save Malta from Illegal', but the superintendent dec-lined it, saying that the award and similar reactions made him "angry".

"I am a man of justice. I believe everyone should be treated equally. All I said was that we have to ensure Marsa does not become a scary place for the Maltese to be in," he insisted.