Former broadcaster Norman Vella has filed an application in court calling on the police to hand him back his mobile phone and tablet.

They were seized when Mr Vella, an immigration officer at the airport, was questioned yesterday for allegedly taking pictures of senior government officials in a restricted area. 

Mr Vella is claiming that his phone and tablet were abusively and illegally seized.

In his application he denied having photographed Kurt Farrugia, the head of the government's media office, and Ramona Attard, communications coordinator at the Ministry of Home Affairs.

No such photos were found on the phone or tablet and the equipment should therefore be returned, he said.

Mr Vella also argued that that even if photos had been taken, this did not amount to a crime which merited arrest, interrogation, confiscation of equipment and access to personal data. Possession of those items by the police was therefore illegal and abusive.

Lawyers Therese Comodini Cachia and Karol Aquilina signed the application.

In comments to timesofmalta.com Mr Vella confirmed that he has been told to return to work and will do so normally this evening.

Referring to yesterday's incident, he said the police had told him that they had a report from two people who claimed to have seen him taking a photo of Kurt Farrugia and Ramona Attard.

The police checked his mobile in his presence and did not find any such photos.

The police then told them they were going to check the CCTV footage. He was never told of the outcome.

Mr Vella said that in his view, being held and questioned for four hours, albeit at his place of work, being offered the opportunity to be assisted by a lawyer (which he took up), as well as the fact that his rights were read out, amounted to arrest.

He insisted he did not know what photos the police were talking about and the police themselves told him that they had seen no such photo.