Man who assaulted parliamentary secretary granted bail

A man who assaulted Parliamentary Secretary Roderick Galdes was today granted bail against a personal guarantee of €10,000.

Eugene Galea, 54, from Lija, pleaded not guilty to assaulting the junior minister and insulting him. He was also charged with computer misuse, filing false reports and the defamation of inspector Ramon Mercieca and others.

Inspector Sarah Magri asked that should the court find the accused guilty, he is placed under general interdiction. Magistrate Ian Farrugia granted bail to the accused against a personal guarantee of €10,000.

Dr Anthony Cutajar appeared for the accused.

Galea drove his car into the ministerial car carrying Galdes yesterday, as he approached the environment ministry on St Joseph High Road. The aggressor was said to have blocked Galdes from getting out of the ministerial car by driving from the other side of the carriageway and stopping his vehicle by the side of the ministerial car.

The incident was said to be related to an animal welfare case. According to sources, the aggressor was livid at Galdes's intervention on an alleged case of animal abuse committed by the aggressor.

MaltaToday is informed that Galea, formerly employed by the Animal Welfare Department, had been fired twice by the previous administration.

It is believed that the aggression may be related to a police investigation ordered by Galdes into alleged past abuse at the Animal Welfare Department.

Sources said that Galea had already been interrogated by ALE officers in connection with the animal abuse investigation, during which he attempted to assault an interrogating officer.