A former policeman accused of sexually assaulting two colleagues was granted bail on Monday.
The former officer, whose identity cannot be revealed by court order, resigned from the police force last month. He is pleading not guilty to raing a policewoman and indecently assaulting another one.
The rape allegedly took place at Msida police station, while the violent sexual assault took place in a police car.
Magistrate Doreen Clarke, presiding over the proceedings, had heard one of the victims testify via videoconference how the man groped her behind while the two had been at work.
A male officer also testified as to how one of the victims had spoken up about her ordeal, telling her confidant “That animal groped me again.” Another female officer had told the same witness that the accused had suggested going on a weekend break together.
Asked by defence lawyer Franco Debono whether the alleged victim had been agitated or angry when she spoke of her ordeal, the witness replied that “She was normal. I always saw her as normal,” insisting on “normal” several times.
Questioned by prosecuting inspector Joseph Busuttil as to whether anything had been done to investigate the allegations, the testifying officer declared “No because they always spoke to me on a confidential basis…They never said they wanted to file a report …I never spoke to anyone about it.”
The same witness also confirmed, in reply to a question by prosecuting Inspector Mark Mercieca, that he had never tried to speak to the accused about the complaints. “No we never spoke to him.”
The defence’s request for bail was not objected to by the prosecution so long as sufficient measures were in place to ensure that the accused made no contact with other witnesses still to testify.
The court upheld the request against a deposit of €1,000 and a personal guarantee of €6,000, strictly prohibiting the accused from approaching any witness or police officers who had been stationed at the district where he had been serving duties at the time when the report was filed.
The case continues next month.
Lawyers Alfred Abela and Amadeus Cachia are also defence counsel.