The police are investigating a claim made by a man on Boxing Day that he was manhandled by a uniformed policeman whom he photographed at the bar in a gentleman's club in Paceville. 

The incident happened in the early hours when a man walked into Stiletto, a gentleman’s club in Paceville, and spotted the uniformed police sergeant drinking at the bar.

Police Commissioner Michael Cassar told Times of Malta this morning the incident was being investigated.

“The investigation started immediately I got to know of the report yesterday evening and I can assure everyone that we will not cover up even a millimetre for anyone,” Mr Cassar said.

He insisted that no action could be taken yet against the police officer until all the facts were established. “Everybody is being questioned and the investigation will help us establish the facts.”

The man said he used his mobile phone to take a photo of the police sergeant. It was at this point that he claimed he was confronted by the sergeant and other police officers on duty.

The sergeant grabbed him by the neck and demanded that he delete the picture.

The man refused, insisting he was in a public place.

He was dragged out of the premises and the sergeant accompanied by other policemen manhandled him and took his mobile phone. He was placed in a police van and later released and his phone returned to him, without its SD card. 

In a police report he filed yesterday evening at the police depot, the man who took the photos said the sergeant told him that he feared no one and threatened to pay him back.

“He [the police sergeant] insisted... he did not give a damn [using vulgar language] and challenged me to find him at the San Ġwann bocci club when he was off duty,” he said in his report.  

At one time one of the policemen asked him whether he feared child porn might be found on the SD card, something which led the man to fear that pictures might be placed on his SD card by somebody else.   

The police in an official statement said they were investigating the case.