Updated 2.45pm with Health Ministry reply

The police say that a magisterial inquiry found they were not criminally responsible for the death of a mentally ill man after he was tasered and then tranquillised.

Ronnie Ghiller died of a sudden heart seizure on May 8, 2020, shortly after the police used a stun gun and a health department doctor then administered a tranquilliser injection.

His widow told Times of Malta on Sunday that her family has been left with no word about the status of the inquiry and no witnesses or family members were ever called to testify.

But, shortly after the story was published and 10 days after Times of Malta had sent a set of questions, the police said the inquiry had absolved its officers.

“The magisterial inquiry into this case exonerated the police from any criminal liability and concluded that the procedure used at the time, when a stun gun was deployed, was conducted in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedure for the use of Conducted Electrical Weapons.”

With reference to the tranquilliser that was administered afterwards by a doctor, the police said: “Every medical decision is made by a doctor or medical professional.”

The health authorities did not reply to questions sent last week and again on Monday by the time of publication. A Health Ministry spokesperson said later on Tuesday that the ministry could not comment on the inquiry or its conclusions, as it was not privy to it. 

Ghiller, 48, was at the time struggling with mental health problems and was refusing to cooperate with the police when they were called to his home in Żabbar over reports that he was throwing mud at people on the street.

Toxicology results later showed he was also under the influence of cocaine.

'I am furious' 

His widow Jacqueline Ghiller said she was completely unaware that any conclusions had been made.

“This is all news to me and I am furious,” she said.

“So, the police were exonerated and we were not even informed that the inquiry reached some kind of conclusion? And if the inquiry was indeed concluded, isn’t anybody going to tell us who was found responsible for my husband’s death?

“This will only give me more strength to continue fighting for justice for Ronnie.”

She suspects that wrongdoing is being deliberately hidden. Her suspicions were aroused because, on the death certificate, the health authorities listed the cause of death as myocardial hypertrophy (heart seizure) from cocaine toxicity and taser exposure. There was no mention of the tranquilliser injection that the health department doctor administered on him.

Times of Malta has asked the attorney general whether the inquiry has been concluded, what it found and why the Ghiller family were not informed about any conclusions.

There was no response at the time of writing.