Raymond Axiaq, 58, Zurrieq pleaded not guilty in court today to having assaulted and slightly injured PN employee Nicky Azzopardi in Rabat on August 3.

The incident had hit the headlines because of the alleged involvement of former Nationalist MPs Franco Debono and Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando.

Police Sergeant Conrad Debattista told the court that on August 3 there was a fight in Rabat outside the bar known as Is-Serkin. Nicholas Azzopardi  had told the police that he had been injured by a person who was in a group with Franco and Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando.

Azzopardi told the police that he was in the bar when Pullicino Orlando walked in and started insulting him for political reasons, using vulgar language. 

He walked out while telling Pullicino Orlando that he knew him as being a different man. 

Franco Debono then began shouting at him and then instigated the fight.

A person near Dr Pullicino Orlando started hitting him and broke his glasses. Dr Debono continued to insult him.

The sergeant said he had asked the victim to identify the aggressor, but he could only say it was a person with white hair.

Dr Debono told the police that Azzopardi had started the fight, the sergeant said.

Dr Pullicino Orlando later phoned the police and then called at the station to give his version.

He told the police that Nicholas Azzopardi started insulting him. He said that at no point did he assault him and he did he know the person who hit him.

Police Inspector Sarah Magri said she spoke to Drs Pullicino Orlando and Debono who both denied Azzopardi's version of events.

Raymond Axiaq, the accused, told the police that he had seen a  commotion outside the bar in Rabat and tried to get Nicky Azzopardi away. He could have knocked his glasses off but in fact gave the glasses back to him.

Nicky Azzopardi later identified Raymond Axiaq as the person who had assaulted him, the inspector said.

Under cross examination, the inspector said that somebody anonymously told her superior, Supt Magri, that it was Raymond Axiaq who had carried out the assault.

People on the scene said they had heard Dr Debono cautioning everyone not to touch Azzopardi. No one could confirm that Dr Debono insulted Azzopardi.

Lawyer Edward Gatt said that the accused had denied assaulting anyone. Nicky Azzopardi had not recognised anybody who had actually hit him.

The case continues.

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