A police officer who reported three of his colleagues for having assaulted suspects recalled on Tuesday how he had struggled to sleep after learning of their alleged behaviour. 

Sergeant Nathan Zerafa told a court how he had first heard hints about the alleged assaults while on duty at Victor Tedesco stadium on October 2. 

Three officers on his work shift had raised the subject, dropping hints that all was not well during night shift at the Ħamrun police station. 

They named three fellow police officers and appeared to imply they were behind certain abuses that were taking place. 

Zerafa said that the following day, he had raised the issue with three other officers, who told him that three of their night shift colleagues would arrest certain persons, take them to a spot in Qormi and “use force upon them.”

Zerafa was testifying in the compilation of evidence against constables Rica Mifsud Grech, 22, Luca Brincat, 20 and Jurgen Falzon, 24 who stand accused of abducting foreign nationals during their night shift to beat them up and abandon them in a secluded Qormi valley. 

He told the court on Tuesday that he was greatly troubled after hearing about the beatings. A colleague who had also learnt of the abuse was also perturbed, he said, and the two “were hardly sleeping those days.” 

Zerafa and his colleague then spoke to their superiors, two inspectors, who urged them to report the matter immediately to the professional standards unit within the corps.

“Basically, unless we did that, they would do so themselves,” went on Zerafa. 

So he and his fellow sergeant sent an email, outlining the basic details and requesting an appointment. The witness identified that email which was shown to him in court. 

That email kickstarted the process which led to the arrest of the three suspects, who are now pleading not guilty to the charges. 

During questioning, Falzon had recalled something about the September 5 incident but denied that there was any beating of the migrant involved. 

Mifsud Grech did not answer the pertinent questions, while Brincat had opted not to answer, testified Inspector Joseph Mercieca.

Earlier during Tuesday’s sitting, the court heard officers testify that one of the men allegedly beaten by the accused was “calm” and caused “no problems” at the time of his arrest. 

Somali national Ahmed Ali Abduwili testified during the previous sitting that on a night in September he had been bundled into a police car, handcuffed and then taken to a dark place “away from the highway.” 

The man insisted that on that occasion he was beaten by four officers, not three, implying that there was a “mystery” aggressor. 

The court heard on Tuesday how earlier that day, Ali Abduwili had landed in trouble for smashing the window of a Marsa shop. 

Three officers who answered a disturbance call at Tiger Bar in Marsa on that September 5 evening testified that Ali Abduwili had approached them when they arrived, telling them that they were probably looking for him. 

He then got into the police car and was eventually taken to the Ħamrun police station. 

He was calm all the way to the police station where the officers then handed him over to other officers on duty at the time. 

“His attitude was good till then,” one of the officers testified. 

The case continues in December. 

The court is presided over by magistrate Joe Mifsud.Inspector Omar Zammit also prosecuted, assisted by AG lawyer Kaylie Bonnett.Lawyers Veronique Dalli and Dean Hili were counsel to Mifsud Grech.Lawyers Franco Debono and Francesca Zarb are counsel to Brincat.Lawyer Edmond Cuschieri is counsel to Falzon.