Nicholas Azzopardi inquiry | Father says whistleblower reluctant to come forward

The father of Nicholas Azzopardi, who died from injuries incurred in an alleged fall off the bastions beneath the police headquarters while in police custody in 2008, was summoned this morning to the Valletta police station for questioning in the new inquiry into the death of his son.

Joseph Azzopardi, 70, told MaltaToday shortly after the one-hour-and-a-half interrogation that a confidential source with information on his son's death was reluctant to come forward with information due to the lack of a Whistleblower's Act.

"This person is afraid of losing their job and is afraid of what could happen to their family," Azzopardi said, who is adamant that the source has reliable information on the death of his son Nicholas.

Police interrogators told Azzopardi the new inquiry will be constructed on the original case file, and look into whether the Azzopardi family had any additional information to reveal.

"We were told to decide today whether we agree that the inquiry adds on to what already exists. I refused. My family wants a new file and a new story. I am prepared to go to higher authorities if need be," Azzopardi said.

Azzopardi also said he told police investigators that he is insisting that the new inquiry - re-opened on request of Commissioner John Rizzo after Nicholas Azzopardi's interrogator Adrian Lia was charged with the theft of €30,000 in seized gambling cash - should be independent.

"If not, the inquiry should at least start from scratch, open a completely new file," he said, referring to the fact that the investigation will be re-examined by Magistrate Antonio Vella, who had conducted the original inquiry. The Attorney General has said Vella will see whether new facts that have come to light have any bearing on his original conclusions.

"During the original inquiry magistrate Antonio Vella and assistant police commissioner Michael Cassar didn't record Nicholas during the interrogation. They had instead insisted that our family handed over the footage we had of Nicholas explaining what happened to him."

Azzopardi said that if the inquiry is not handed to a new magistrate, an internal inquiry into the operations of the police force should take place. "We thought that by going to the police station today we would learn something new," he said, adding that the officers who spoke to him this morning had been very "nice" and the interrogation had been very "civil".

Azzopardi said that an internal inquiry should look into the officers - naming police inspector Graziella Muscat, and officers Reuben Zammit and Adrian Lia - who were responsible for Nicholas Azzopardi while he was under police custody.

"We expected that Zammit is questioned over what could have happened that day or what he could have seen or heard. The inquiry should look into how Nicholas was taunted and provoked to the point that he reacted," Joseph Azzopardi said.

Azzopardi believes his son may have been taunted by police sergeant Adrian Lia, over his relationship with Nicholas's estranged wife, to the point that he may have reacted physically against his interrogators.

MaltaToday has since learnt that Nicholas Azzopardi had been brought in for questioning after his wife filed a police report, alleging he had abused their daughter, just days a court awarded Nicholas Azzopardi extended custody of their child.

After he was found unconscious beneath the police depot's bastions, Nicholas Azzopardi later was recorded on a home video on his hospital bed, claiming he had been brutally 'beaten to a pulp' by two policemen while in custody.

Commissioner John Rizzo was at the time of the incident indisposed, undergoing medical treatment for a period of six months. In his stead, Assistant Commissioner Michael Cassar was responsible at the Floriana GHQ.

"I don't know how it is possible that after four years no one knows what really happened that night," Joseph Azzopardi told MaltaToday. "I'm ready to call on the highest authorities to seek justice. We have nothing against the Police. All we want is justice," he said.

"We are not going to give up. We will bring justice to our son."