The police have questioned the director of prisons over a claim he produced a gun during an alleged dispute in Għadira on Sunday, a claim he has vehemently denied.

Robert Brincau confirmed that he has been questioned by the police but denied producing a weapon or even having been directly involved in any sort of altercation.

Brincau told Times of Malta he was “seriously surprised” when the police turned up at his house late Sunday to question him about the claimed incident.

“I am confident the police will investigate thoroughly the alleged incident. From my end, I am and will continue to cooperate fully,” Brincau said.

“I am also seeking legal advice to safeguard my rights at law. Again, I reiterate that I am fully cooperating with the police so that the truth may prevail.”

Dispute over ambulance services

The alleged incident revolves around a dispute and long-standing rivalry between two competing private ambulance services.

Brincau’s wife is the director of Malta Red Cross, which is contracted by the government to provide lifeguards at Għadira.

Charlton Caruana, who runs the ‘rival’ ambulance service, claims his staff were impeded by Red Cross staff from responding to an emergency call at the bay.

Caruana’s firm Alpha Medical is contracted by a government entity to have one ambulance on standby in the north of Malta and another in the south to take some of the pressure off the 112 emergency service.

After Alpha Medical eventually transported the patient to Mater Dei Hospital and returned to Għadira, matters escalated when Caruana’s staff tried to treat another patient in the area.

It is at this point, according to Caruana, that the alleged altercation took place outside the Danish Village between two of his staff members and Brincau, who was with his wife at the time.

The alleged physical altercation

Two Alpha Medical staff members have given sworn statements to the police in which they claim Brincau pointed a gun at the ambulance driver’s head during the alleged incident.

The driver said Brincau first headbutted him and he responded in kind with a punch to the face.

Brincau then reached for a gun he was allegedly carrying and pointed it at the ambulance driver’s head, according to statements given to the police by Alpha Medical driver and an accompanying nurse.

The driver described the gun as being silver, with a black grip.

During the statement, the police zeroed in on the fact the driver failed to immediately alert officers in the vicinity about the claimed incident.

By way of explanation, the driver said he feared the situation would escalate further if he went running to the police.

A report was filed several hours after the claimed incident.

Brincau: 'This is a lie'

Brincau told Times of Malta that claims he pulled out a gun during the dispute are a “lie” and neither was there any sort of altercation, as claimed by the Alpha Medical staff.

The prisons director said his wife, who he was accompanying at the time, was called to the scene due to a “Red Cross-related matter”.

“As I saw an argument between the parties, I talked to the persons involved to calm the situation,” Brincau said.

“In fact, the situation was calmed down and all left the scene.

“I strongly object that I pointed a gun at a person, this is a lie. The latter did not happen and furthermore, no scuffle, as was alleged, took place,” Brincau said.

A video furtively shot by the nurse at the end of the alleged incident appears to show both the ambulance driver and Brincau facing off in an animated discussion.

Brincau was appointed prisons director last November. He was a Red Cross director of operations prior to taking up that post.