An investigation by the Mental Health Commissioner into the involuntary committal of a former police officer has found his rights had not been breached.

Mario Portelli filmed the moment three police officers came to his home to escort him away last February.

The former officer had previously posted a flurry of videos on Facebook in which he said he was going to confront Prime Minister Joseph Muscat about claims that his wife owned the once-secret offshore company Egrant.

Questions had been raised by mental health practitioners as to whether all the necessary procedures were adhered to in the process leading to Mr Portelli’s committal.

According to those procedures, a doctor must assess the person and recommend hospitalisation as the only reasonable course of action to preserve life and safety. The doctor must also establish that there are no safe alternatives that are less restrictive.

Replying to a parliamentary question, Health Minister Chris Fearne said that the commissioner had concluded that the case of Mr Portelli had been above board.

Although Mr Fearne said he would not publish the entire report, due to private medical information within it, he reproduced a one-paragraph conclusion declaring that Mr Portelli’s committal, at the behest of his parents, did not breach his rights:

“Having taken all the evidence in consideration, the Board does not consider that Mr Portelli’s rights as a mental health service user were breached during the period indicated for investigation. The Police acted under Article 44(4) of the Mental Health Act. The admission process was effected through a first medical assessment at Mater Dei Hospital and subsequently completed with a second specialist assessment effected within 24 hours of admission at Mount Carmel Hospital.”

The alliance for mental health had asked both the Mental Health Commissioner and the police board to officially investigate and to ascertain that all procedures were adhered too.

A spokeswoman for the police declined to say if Mr Portelli’s committal to Mount Carmel had been pre-authorised by a psychiatric team.

“Kindy note that due to investigations being carried out, it’s not prudent to divulge further information regarding this case,” a police spokesman said.

PD MP Godfrey Farrugia, who is familiar with Mr Portelli’s case, had said on Facebook that the former PC did in fact arrive at Mount Carmel with the necessary documentation but that this was only because they took the “irregular” step of stopping at Mater Dei Hospital en route to sort out the paperwork with the patient in tow.

Mr Portelli’s parents had also insisted that all the necessary procedures were adhered to.

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