The Attorney General is studying the outcome of the inquiry into the death of Nicholas Azzopardi and could possibly release the "bulky" document next week.

Dr Silvio Camilleri said when contacted yesterday that while he believes the document's release is in the public interest, he first has to scrutinise it and establish whether there is need for further investigations, a common procedure in these cases.

"It would not be prudent to release the document just yet," he said.

The family is also trying to acquire a copy through their lawyers.

A press release highlighting the conclusion of the inquiry, conducted by Magistrate Anthony Vella, was released by the Justice Ministry on Tuesday.

It cleared the police from committing any violence on Mr Azzopardi, 38, who had claimed on his deathbed last April that he was brutally beaten and thrown off the bastions by police.

The inquiry absolved the force of any wrongdoing and concluded that Mr Azzopardi did not suffer "aggression, beatings, or violence" at the hands of the police while he was in custody between 3.15 p.m. on April 8 and 5.59 p.m. on April 9.

The inquiry established that at that moment the man, who is 6' 3" and weighs some 110 kilograms, escaped and jumped over the four-foot wall along a passageway in the police headquarters, Floriana, falling a height of three storeys into the yard of Lorenzo Manchè School.

PC 1359, the policeman accompanying Mr Azzopardi had tried to stop him from jumping and the inquiry established that he had slight injuries that corroborated this rescue attempt.

According to Mr Azzopardi's version of events, as recounted by the family in April, he lost consciousness after the beating and only returned to his senses 13 days later in hospital.

However, the inquiry establishes that exactly after his fall Mr Azzopardi was conscious until he reached Mater Dei Hospital. At no point while he was conscious did he say that he was beaten or assaulted by the police.

Despite the outcome, the Azzopardi family is still doubtful as to what happened and stress that Nicholas was a health and safety officer at Enemalta and suicide was certainly not on his mind.

They are now awaiting the conclusions of the second inquiry being conducted by Judge Albert Manché, to examine police actions from the moment of Mr Azzopardi's arrest up to his passing away. The inquiry will also look into whether there was police negligence or abuse of power, as well as any ancillary matters.

However, the family is resigned and Mr Azzopardi's brother Reno feels the truth will never be known: "The second my brother came to his senses the first words he told us were that he was violently beaten by the police... We were resigned from the beginning, since he was the sole witness."

Reno said the family would like to see the CCTV footage of both April 8 and 9, and are questioning whether the images showing Mr Azzopardi walking and "looking tranquil" on April 9 could have been tampered with and the date changed.

Magistrate Vella's inquiry included the input of 10 experts from medical to legal, the testimony of 71 witnesses - including police, family and friends - and four medical reports.