A 35-year-old man has died in a police cell, hours after he was arrested for being in suspected possession of drugs.

The man has been named as Richmond Tong from Mtarfa.

Police said the alarm was raised at 3.40am when he was found to be suffering a seizure in a cell at police headquarters.

He was given immediate first aid and a medical team was called but the man passed away.

The man, a resident of Mtarfa, had been arrested at around 12.30am by two units of the Rapid Intervention Unit (RIU) after his movements drew suspicion. He was searched and found to be in possession of a substance believed to be a drug.

Magistrate Josette Demicoli is heading an inquiry.

PN calls for an independent inquiry

The Nationalist Party in a statement said it is calling for an independent inquiry into the arrested man's death including its causes, whether it could have been prevented, who was responsible for precautions to safeguard the man's health. and whether all laws and protocols had been observed.   

 

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