The Police this evening denied all claims by Fr Mark Montebello that officers had badly treated a Nigerian national.
Fr Montebello in a statement this morning said that the Nigerian man, Monday Iseki, 33, on February 10 went to Misty Blue Bar in Bugibba to see Chelsea play Everton. Since the game was not being screened, he decided to return home at St. Paul's Bay. He was accompanied by a friend.
While on their way, an unmarked car with two or three men in civilian clothes closed up on them from their rear. Mr Iseki and his friend walked on. The car pulled alongside and one of the men in the car grabbed Mr. Iseki by his clothes. Mr. Iseki instinctively shoved the men's hand away from him and began running away from the car. Later it transpired that the men in civilian clothes were police officers.
Just a hundred metres away, Mr Iseki was relieved to see a police car stop and went up to the policemen. To his surprise, the policemen asked him to get into their car and he was taken to the police station.
Fr Montebello said that during interrogation, Mr Iseki was told that he was suspected of having, on the previous Sunday evening, attempted to rob the Misty Blue Bar. He was told that the police had CCTV recording showing that he went to the bar after closing hours, presumably with the intent of robbing the establishment. The police also alleged that Mr. Iseki had injured the plain clothes policeman who had accosted him. Mr. Iseki denied all charges, and was kept in custody.
The day after, Mr Iseki was driven to his home for a search, but nothing suspicious was found, and again he was kept in custody, Fr Montebello said.
Up till that moment, Mr Iseki still had no face to face encounter with the investigating police inspector. That happened on his third day in custody. Mr Iseki was then informed that the man on the CCTV recording was not him. Notwithstanding, Mr. Iseki was charged with causing a ‘slight injury' to a policeman, of disobeying a legitimate order, and of resisting arrest. The day after, he was arraigned to Court and denied bail. He was assigned a legal aid lawyer, whom he has never met.
Mr Iseki was next taken to court last Tuesday, after 13 days in custody. Again he was denied bail and returned to prison to wait for his next Court hearing, which is scheduled for next Tuesday, March 2. He will by then have been in custody for 30 days, Fr Montebello said.
"Mr Iseki has been submitted to the hardships of prison, the disruption of his life, and mental distress for a whole month without any qualms on the part of the Police or the Law Courts. His dignity as a human being has been utterly disrespected; his basic rights as a human being have been wholly disregarded," Fr Montebello added.
POLICE REACTION
The police in a reaction said all officers involved in this case were in uniform and in ap olice marked car. The police requested Mr Iseki to board the police vehicle so that he may be escorted to Police Headquarters for questioning.
"At this point, thesubject resisted the police arrest and fled. The police gave chase and on being apprehended, he continued to resist arrest and as a consequence one of the police officers sustained slight injuries in his knee as certified by a doctor from the Mosta Health Clinic," the police said.
Mr Iseki was later escorted to Qawra Police Station, where he was handed over to CID officers in plain clothes, who immediately identified themselves as police officers.
Mr Iseki was kept in custody at the Police HQ lock up from 7.15 p.m. on 10th February to 12.10 p.m. on 12th February, when he was taken in court, and not as incorrectly alleged by Fr Mark Montebello that Mr Iseki was kept in cutody for three consecutive days, the police said.
"Fr Montebello was also not correct in saying that Mr Iseki had no face to face encounter with the investigating police officer. Mr Iseki was duly spoken to by the Investigating Officer immediatley after being arrested and brought into Police Custod."
The police said Mr Iseki refused to consult a lawyer prior to police questioning. However, upon arraignment, Mr Iseki was assigned a legal aid lawyer by the court.
Mr Iseki requested bail which so far has been denied by the Court.
"Furthermore, it is also important to say that Fr Mark Montebello was duly briefed of all details and procedures concerning this case by the investigating officer," the police said.