A man who was charged with drink driving and with slightly injuring a police officer this afternoon claimed in court that he had been beaten by the police.

David-John Calleja, 30, from Ta'Xbiex, pleaded not guilty to 17 charges which include disobeying police orders, driving when drunk and failing to give the police his details.

But the police charges were overshadowed by allegations that the man, a senior financial adviser, was beaten up by the police during his arrest.

Lawyer Robert Abela exhibited a medical certificate saying that his client had suffered a broken nose and also claimed that his client told the police about this but the investigating officer refused to include this detail in the official statement.

He asked Magistrate Marse-Ann Farrugia to appoint a court expert to photograph the police car where his client is said to have been elbowed in the nose. However,  Police Inspector Jason Sultana said the car had been washed.

The inspector objected when the defence exhibited Mr Calleja’s blood-stained clothes but withdrew the objection when the defence lawyer accused the prosecution of trying to cover up a crime.

“You already destroyed evidence by cleaning the car. Do you want to destroy any more?” Dr Abela said angrily.

Upon a request by the defence, the court appointed an ENT consultant to examine the accused.

In submissions for bail, to which the prosecution objected, Inspector Sultana said the court ought to get the message across that abuse on police officers should not be tolerated.

He also denied that the broken nose injury was “self-inflicted” when the accused began banging his face against a door. Dr Abela said this was something that used to be said in the 1980s and it was not something to expect in 2014.

He said the photograph released by the police yesterday of an officer with splatters of blood on his shirt was his client’s blood after he had been beaten up by police officer Kevin Decelis.

“I expect the police to investigate this claim and not pretend not to have heard it. I also expect the Acting Police Commissioner, who was quick to issue a statement on the matter, to investigate the claim and suspend and prosecute the officer who inflicted serious injuries on my client,” he said.

He explained that his client had ended a relationship and had had a drink or two.

He said the police officer who was slightly injured by his client was not the same police officer who broke his client’s nose and who sat in during the interrogation.
Magistrate Farrugia granted Mr Calleja bail against a personal guarantee of €10,000.

Dr Abela and lawyer Albert Zerafa appeared for Mr Calleja.

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