Food courier says he was beaten at pizzeria and treated badly by police

The order was for a few pizzas but what happened next, an Indian food courier said, left him with marks on his neck, deleted photos on his phone and an impression that the police, who were meant to help him, would rather he went away.

The courier, a part-time Wolt rider, told Times of Malta he was verbally abused, assaulted by a group of men and threatened at Pizza 4 U in Ħamrun on the afternoon of June 27. 

It began, according to his account, with a pizza thrown at him rather than handed over. He said he asked for his order several times but the staff member behaved aggressively.

“He handed me the order in a disrespectful way by throwing it towards me instead of giving it to me properly,” said the man, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

When he returned a short while later for a second order from the same restaurant, he said the same worker turned on him: “I don’t know where people like you come from. Go back to your country.”

“I felt humiliated and upset by the way I was being treated. Because of his behaviour and the discriminatory comments, I started recording a video on my phone to document what was happening.” That, he pointed out, is when things turned physical. He said several staff members approached him, forcibly took his phone from his hands and demanded access to it.

“They deleted the video I had just recorded, they accessed other personal parts of the phone and deleted more files and content without my permission,” he said.

Thrown out

Then, he continued, he was physically assaulted by multiple staff members.

 “They grabbed me forcefully, held me against my will and used physical force against me. I was then pushed towards the stairs and thrown out of the restaurant. Before I left, I was also threatened and warned not to report the incident to the police. Their actions made me fear for my safety and well-being.”

Through its lawyer, Pizza 4 U said it takes allegations of this kind seriously and has launched an internal review as soon as it learned of the complaint. 

Because a report had been filed and the matter was now under investigation, the lawyer said it was inappropriate to comment on the substance of the allegations, as doing so could prejudice the process. “However, for all intents and purposes the business rejects the allegations made by the individual making the complaint.”

The lawyer asked that any report makes clear the allegations are unproven and under investigation and said the restaurant would cooperate fully with the authorities.

After the altercation, the courier said he called the police. When they arrived, he complained of pain in his neck and back and asked for an ambulance. However, he was told to sort out his own medical report. 

He travelled by scooter to the Floriana health centre, where he was given a report confirming slight injuries to his neck, near his eye and to his leg. Times of Malta has seen a copy of the report.  He returned to the Ħamrun station with the report in hand, expecting to tell his side of the story but claimed he was informed that a statement had already been written in his absence.

‘Both sides’

When he asked what it said, the courier said he was told it recorded “an attack from both sides”.

“When I heard this, I asked what they meant by ‘both sides’ because I was attacked by a group of people.”

He said an officer told him that going to court would be costly and the case could drag on for years. He took this as advice to avoid further legal action. However, he said he was then told to go to the police station the next day at 6pm to make his statement. He was left waiting for ages.

“I am not seeking any publicity, fame or attention,” he said. “I come from a humble background and I am the only son responsible for supporting my parents. My only request is justice and a fair investigation.”

He said he was ready to cooperate fully and asked that CCTV footage from any cameras in the vicinity be examined. 

Times of Malta asked the police how the attack was deemed mutual and whether they have any comments to make about the alleged bad conduct of officers at the Ħamrun station.

In response, a spokesperson confirmed the police had received a phone call from a person reporting he had been involved in an argument. The spokesperson said police officers immediately proceeded to the site indicated, spoke with the person concerned and started investigations, which remain ongoing.  “The following day, the alleged victim provided the police with a medical certificate indicating slight injuries.”

Hostility

However, the spokesperson said the alleged victim refused medical attention on the day the report was filed.

“The Malta Police Force takes all reports seriously, irrespective of the nationality or race of the person filing the report.”

Manav Sangar, a third-country national who is a General Workers’ Union official, was called by the courier after the incident and went to the police station with him. 

He said he was deeply concerned with how the incident played out. “Violence and physical attacks are never the solution to any dispute,” he said. Sangar stressed it is up to the authorities to decide who was in the right after a fair investigation. 

He noted such calls are not rare. Over time, TCN couriers had come to him with stories of the hostility they meet on the job, including teenagers pelting them with eggs and wrecking the food bags they depend on. While some dismiss these incidents as pranks, he remarked they land hard on people simply trying to earn an honest living.

He appealed for people to be treated with dignity, whatever their nationality, religion or work may be. Sangar also urged the police to investigate thoroughly and impartially, adding he trusted them to do so.