Man admits he attacked police officers in Marsa

A man has admitted to attacking three police officers from the Rapid Intervention Unit after he panicked when they started asking him questions about a rape case reported to the police by a prostitute on Monday.

But while it emerged that 36-year-old Safi resident Godwin Mana, from Nigeria, had nothing to do with the alleged rape incident, he was charged with violently resisting the police.

Police officers from the Rapid Intervention Unit had gone to Triq Diċembru 13 in Marsa at around 9:45am on Monday after receiving the report and had found Mana there. The man had attacked the officers when they approached him to ask him some questions.

The accused, who told the court that he worked in construction as well as being a waiter, had retaliated and attacked the police sergeant and two constables.

Mana admitted to charges of violently resisting the police, slightly injuring one of the officers and damaging a mobile phone belonging to another. 

He also pleaded guilty to having slightly injured one of the constables, breaching the peace and disobeying legitimate police orders.

Police investigations showed that the woman had not indicated Mana as her rapist but that she had told the police that he had failed to pay her for her services.

The court, presided by magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit, was told that the police were also investigating the woman in connection with filing a false police report. 

Magistrate Stafrace Zammit, after giving the accused time to reconsider his admission of guilt, sentenced him to imprisonment for nine months, suspended for 18 months.

The court also ordered Mana to pay €160 to the officer whose mobile phone he had damaged within six months, warning him that failure to do so could lead to a six-month prison sentence and a fine of €1,165.

It upheld Prosecuting officer Police Inspector Andy Rotin’s request for a protection order in favour of the officers involved. Lawyer Josette Sultana was legal aid counsel to the accused.