Nicholas Azzopardi's death: ‘I want an independent probe’

Any further investigation into Nicholas Azzopardi’s death in April 2008 while in police custody must be completely independent if it is to be of any value, the victim’s father insisted yesterday.

Why did it take four years for this to happen?

“If it’s the police, government or even Attorney General investigating, then we might as well not have bothered,” Joseph Azzopardi told The Sunday Times from his family home.

He insisted that a further investigation should focus on the police’s role in events, “unlike the previous inquiries, which seemed more interested in investigating my son than the police’s actions”.

Police Commissioner John Rizzo has asked the Attorney General to reopen a magisterial inquiry into Mr Azzopardi’s death, following questions being raised about a keywitness’ credibility.

Mr Azzopardi suffered serious injuries while in police custody in 2008. He was hospitalised andsubsequently claimed he was viciously beaten and flung over bastion walls by police officers. The police strenuously denied the allegations, and claimed that Mr Azzopardi had hurt himself by jumping off a wall in an attempt to escape. He subsequently died as a result of his injuries.

A magisterial inquiry had found that all the available evidence pointed to the police’s version of events, absolving the policemen involved and finding that Mr Azzopardi had leapt off the wall.

But the recent arraignment of one of the interrogating officers on theft charges prompted fresh questions about the reliability of their testimony. Former policeman Adrian Lia – the officer escorting Mr Azzopardi shortly before hesustained his injuries – was charged last week with stealing approximately €30,000 in cash from police headquarters in Floriana. Mr Lia, who resigned from the force this month, is no stranger to headlines.

Aside from his involvement in Mr Azzopardi’s custody, he also made the news in 1997 when he claimed to have saved a woman from drowning. A medal he was awarded was subsequently withdrawn when the claim turned out to be false.

Opposition leader Joseph Muscat has insisted that a number of issues surrounding the case remain unresolved, and last week called for further light to be shed on the case.

Mr Azzopardi has himself cast aspersions on Mr Lia’s reliability as a witness, but is a little sceptical about a new inquiry.

“Why did it take four years for this to happen? I’ve been complaining about shortcomings in the original inquiry for years.”

He made reference to a European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment report published last year, which found that the police ought to have taken special precautions when holding Mr Azzopardi in custody.

“The three officers who interrogated my son should have been suspended until the investigation was concluded. Not only was that not done, but one of them [Mr Lia] was promoted.”

Throughout, Mr Azzopardi was relatively downbeat. Was he not optimistic that reopening the inquiry could give him the closure he craved?

“We’ll see. It’s all been so stressful on my wife and I... reopening the inquiry is good news, but like I said: if it’s not completely independent, it might as well have never happened.”