Police Commissioner Michael Cassar.

The police are investigating a case involving a police sergeant who is alleged to have threatened and manhandled a man who photographed him at a lap dancing club in Paceville.

Karl Baldacchino, 30, claims that the incident took place on Christmas Day after he witnessed a uniformed police officer drinking inside the Stiletto gentlemen’s club and snapped a picture with his mobile phone.

However, the police sergeant, Ramon Mifsud Grech, yesterday denied any wrongdoing, insisting he had been called to the club to investigate a report that a man had held a knife against someone’s throat.

Sergeant told me he feared no one and threatened to pay me back

“I was not drinking but talking to the victim of the knife incident, for which a man will be charged in the coming days,” he said.

Mr Baldacchino has insisted that what he saw in the bar was a uniformed police officer “looking relaxed”, which did not give the impression he was investigating anything.

In a police report filed late on Friday evening, Mr Baldacchino alleged he was confronted by the sergeant and other police officers on duty. The sergeant allegedly grabbed him by the neck and demanded he delete the picture. Mr Baldacchino refused, insisting he was in a public place.

The man claimed he was then dragged out of the premises and manhandled by the sergeant and other police officers, who took his mobile phone. Mr Baldacchino claims he was placed in a police van and later released without his details being taken. His phone was returned without its memory card.

However, Sergeant Mifsud Grech insisted that while speaking to the victim of the knife incident he heard a commotion at the back of the club.

“I did not know what happened but the club’s security people later told me they had dragged out a man who was bothering the girls and taking pictures of me when it is prohibited to take photos in the club,” he said. The police officer claimed he never asked Mr Baldacchino for his mobile phone and denied taking the memory card.

“I would prefer it if the memory card is found because it would prove I was not drinking at the bar. I asked Mr Baldacchino why he was taking pictures of me and he started getting loud,” the sergeant said, insisting the man was never manhandled, handcuffed or arrested.

“I held him from his jacket until I took him to the police van and let him go after he gave us his details.”

Mr Baldacchino has claimed that he confronted the sergeant with the fact that he had also seen him drinking at the bar of the San Ġwann boċċi club and speaking to unsavoury characters. “It was at this point that the sergeant told me he feared no one and threatened to pay me back,” he said.

Mr Baldacchino denied knowing the sergeant, claiming that on the occasion of the San Ġwann club he had recognised him as the police officer usually assigned guard duties with a bank in Balluta. The sergeant also confirmed that he did not know Mr Baldacchino.

“I felt threatened by his words but a more serious threat was the police sergeant’s suggestion on the night that I did not want to hand over the phone because I feared the police would find child pornography pictures on the phone,” Mr Baldacchino said. In his police statement, Mr Baldacchino expressed concern that such images may be placed on the missing memory card.

However, Sergeant Mifsud Grech has denied ever bringing up the issue of child pornography.

In an official statement, the police said they were investigating the case. When contacted, Police Commissioner Michael Cassar said the investigation started the minute he got to know of the incident on Friday evening. “I can assure everyone that we will not cover up a millimetre for anyone,” Mr Cassar said. He insisted no action could be taken until all the facts were established. “Everybody is being questioned.”

Mr Baldacchino and Sergeant Mifsud Grech confirmed they met Assistant Commissioner Carmelo Magri and Inspector Ramon Mercieca to make a statement.

Neither the police sergeant nor Mr Baldacchino are strangers to controversy. In 2012, the police sergeant along with two other officers and a bouncer was cleared of holding a French student against his will in 2009 after a prosecution error alleged the incident took place at 11pm when was actually 3am.

Last July, Mr Baldacchino was cleared of charges that he abused a telecoms network and disobeyed police orders after he sent seemingly innocuous text messages to former Labour MEP Joseph Cuschieri a year earlier.