Police to seek legal action over leak of Ħamrun body camera evidence

Police in Malta said they will file a complaint in the Courts of Justice over a leak of evidence in the form of body camera footage of a police officer, when he was assaulted in Ħamrun while committing a traffic offence.

The police force said the leaked body camera footage, posted by Lovin Malta, was a 3-minute extract from the total 23-minute footage, saying it did not convey the extent of the assault on the two officers of police

“According to Article 518 of the Penal Code, these images cannot be disseminated or shared,” the police force said.

Five people, including two restaurant owners, are accused of assaulting the two officers. The defendants are Elton Anthony Borg, 46, a restaurant owner, Kurt Borg, 44, also a restaurant owner, both of Hamrun; Erica Borg, 42, a housewife from Msida; Redeimen Aquilina, 23, from Hamrun; and Christian Mansueto, 33, from Siġġiewi. All five defendants pleaded not guilty and applied for bail, which was denied.

The altercation began when two officers approached a group that included the accused as they were issuing parking fines in Triq il-Kbira, San Ġużepp, in Ħamrun. According to the prosecution, the defendants were “agitated and arrogant” when confronted by the police.

Borg grabbed one of the officers by the hand and when ordered to stop, stepped on the officer’s foot. When the police attempted to separate the individuals, both Kurt and Elton Borg violently resisted, prompting the officers to attempt to arrest them to bring the situation under control.

The situation quickly escalated as more people arrived on the scene, with the crowd becoming increasingly hostile towards the officers. Police used a taser gun and pepper spray to regain control as they ordered the crowd to disperse.

Footage from a police body camera showing the initial altercation and the events that followed was presented to the court.