Hold-up suspect fears for his health

Mario Camilleri, 44 of Zebbug and accused of an attempted hold-up at Skyparks in Gudja filed a judicial protest against the Commissioner of Police, holding the police responsible should excessive force be used against him for the taking of DNA samples.

At 2pm today, Camilleri is scheduled to attend a medical appointment at Mater Dei Hospital on court orders and release a DNA sample. However, recounting how another suspect had to be recovered in hospital after officers used excessive force to take similar samples, Camilleri held he fears the same approach could be applied in his regard.

On 9 October, during a magisterial inquiry held at court, 34-year-old suspect Christopher Scerri was ordered to release a sample of his DNA. However he left the courtroom on a stretcher and was recovered in hospital for treatment after officers used excessive force to collect the requested sample.

Fearing for his health, Camilleri filed the judicial protest holding the Police Commissioner responsible for damages he could suffer due to any excessive force used against him.

Defence lawyers Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri claimed the police are legally empowered to use moderate and proportionate force during the collection of samples, however in Scerri's case, the force used was excessive.