They fell from the police headquarters’ bastions: 12 foreigners, and Nicholas Azzopardi

Thirteen persons were revealed to have fallen from the bastions beneath the police headquarters' CID offices, in a reply to parliamentary question to the Prime Minister which has opened up new speculation on the Nicholas Azzopardi inquiry.

The revelation is a serious one, since it raises questions on the reason why people held in custody have attempted to jump off the bastions: especially considering that 12 of these were not Maltese nationals.

Lawrence Gonzi, who recently took charge of home affairs following the resignation of Carm Mifsud Bonnici after a no-confidence motion by the House of Representatives, said one of these cases had died, several days later in hospital - ostensibly Nicholas Azzopardi, who has died of injuries he incurred in the fall from the bastions beneath the CID offices.

According to Gonzi, police had investigated all these cases, although it is clear that - as was the case with Azzzopardi's circumstances - no media announcement was made of these alleged suicide attempts.

Nicholas Azzopardi died from injuries incurred in an alleged fall off the bastions beneath the police headquarters while in police custody in 2008. Azzopardi, who had been brought in for questioning over his estranged wife's allegations that he was abusing his daughter, claimed that he had been beaten up by his custodians, before regaining consciousness at the foot of the bastions beneath the CID offices. He died weeks later in hospital.

A first magisterial inquiry proved inconclusive as to Azzopardi's claims, but after one of his police custodians, Sergeant Adrian Lia, was sacked from the force for pocketing seized monies from drug busts, a new second inquiry into the Azzopardi incident was ordered.

The inquiry by Magistrate Antonio Vella, who held the first one, was held after Commissioner of Police John Rizzo asked the Attorney General to re-open the inquiry last March. Although concluded, it is still not published yet. A parallel government inquiry by retired judge Albert Manchè had revealed no wrongdoing by police custodians.

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi yesterday announced he was ready to grant protection and amnesty to whoever was ready to come forward and testify in court over allegations that Nicholas Azzopardi had died after he was allegedly beaten up by police officers at the Floriana police headquarters on 8 April.

"The government has no other interest other than seeing the truth revealed. The aim behind these two inquiries is for the truth to surface.

"There were several comments made and we want nothing but the truth to come out. Government is ready to give protection and amnesty to whoever testifies in court and sheds light on the case," Gonzi said.

Hours before he died on 22 April, he told his family and inquiring magistrate he had been heavily beaten up by his interrogators while under arrest. His family believe Azzopardi was attacked by an officer, breaking his ribs and puncturing his lung before being thrown over the bastions or placed there deliberately.