GozoNews.Com

In a Press Conference in front of the Gozo courthouse, Alternattiva Demokratika Chairperson Dr Harry Vassallo said that the arraignment of AD’s Local Councillor in Ta’ Sannat, John Mizzi was yet another case of the misuse of police powers.

“Alternattiva Demokratika has never claimed to be above the law and the law has always been applied in full towards AD supporters and activists. We have been an example to others in submitting to the law also where we exercised our rights to civil protest. But there comes a time when we feel that we must publicly complain and insist that the police and other authorities behave towards our supporters and all other citizens with respect and common sense” Dr Vassallo said.

“We will never forget the incident in which an AD activist was subjected to a full body search on presenting himself to Kordin prisons to submit to a one day prison sentence when he refused to pay a small fine in protest. It was deliberate, unnecessary and abusive humiliation which led to the victim leaving the country he loved for good” Dr Vassallo said.

“John Mizzi has been brought before the criminal courts as an accused person when in fact the police authorities and Mepa should have been quick to apologise to him” Dr Vassallo said. “Mr Mizzi was exercising his rights as a citizen and as an internet journalist in a public place when he photographed a Mepa enforcement action in Wied l-Infern” Dr Vassallo said.

“In the absurd incident that ensued, the digital photographs taken by John Mizzi were erased, whether by the police themselves or by a Mepa official aided and abetted by the police is of little consequence” Dr Vassallo said. “John Mizzi had a right to be in a public place and take what photographs he chose. Through his websites he has been of service to other Gozitans in informing them of similar incidents and events which are ignored by the authorities and by the press” Dr Vassallo added.

“When asked for his particulars John Mizzi replied by asking what offence he was suspected of having committed. Now he stands accused of not giving his particulars to the police” Dr Vassallo said. “It is the kind of prosecution which verges on persecution. Unfortunately this is something which happens very frequently to ordinary citizens whose time is wasted by frivolous, unnecessary and oppressive prosecutions” Dr Vassallo added.

“Ironically these public officers demanded to know John Mizzi’s identity in the process of preventing him from publishing their actions. While they are public officials acting under legal authority in broad daylight and in particular when they are uniformed policemen duty bound to carry an identification number, they should have nothing to hide. A planning enforcement action is not an official secret, a military action nor an intervention of the secret service” Dr Vassallo said. “It is absurd that the outcome of the incident is a prosecution of John Mizzi instead of a public apology by the Ministers responsible for Mepa and for the police” Dr Vassallo said.

“John Mizzi has filed a judicial protest regarding this incident and is considering judicial action for breach of his fundamental human rights” Dr Vassallo said. “Alternattiva Demokratika supports him in pursuing the matter in order to defend the right of all citizens to go about their private business without being bullied and without being exposed to vexatious prosecutions. In persecuting John Mizzi who has spent his own time, money and energy to expose the uneven application of law in Gozo, the authorities render themselves ridiculous in the eyes of all Gozitans who have a very clear idea of who is right in this case” Dr Vassallo said.