One of the arrested is Christian Borg, a 28-year-old from Swieqi who made news in March 2020 as a protagonist in a video where he could be seen assaulting two Africans.
Reports from the local media brought to light the story of five men who were arraigned after a man accused them of abduction.
According to Malta Today, the victim escaped and reported his aggressors to the police. Borg, a car dealer, is among the people arrested.
His face became familiar almost two years ago when an incident opposing him to two Africans was caught on video. The two men who had related the story to African Media explained that a car driven by a woman was stationed in the middle of the road, stopping any other car from moving. Borg and the men with him on the video were having a conversation with that woman.
The two Africans honked, which upset Borg and the group of people with him. That was the beginning of the argument. One of the Africans started filming the incident. Borg is seen assaulting the person filming. The footage shows scenes of violence of the Maltese men insulting the two Africans.
Watch the two-minutes video:
Many supportive comments were written below the video on the African Media YouTube channel, an unusual trend, as Africans are usually targeted with hate speech.
One commenter said: “Maltese are as well migrants in other countries. This attitude of superiority is disgusting. I'm glad this footage is still around, as proof of some people's ignorance towards other races. Ignorance brings divide.”
Another one said: “This is what happens when someone shoots 65 times at the police and dont get charged with attempted murder,everyone thinks he is invictus.”
A third one said: “Ja hamali.... did they get charged.....? If that was in Australia, with that footage, they would have been charged with assault....”
Neither Borg, nor any of the men in the video were charged because of the aggression, but as it appears to be, it was just a matter of time. Borg is now under investigation for an alleged crime that can cost him his freedom.
African migrants have expressed on more than one occasion a sense of abandonment by the institutions that fail to protect them against abuses like the one seen on the video.
Rarely, an African immigrant will press charges against an abuse suffered at the hand of a local because they feel hopeless and are convinced that the justice is not there for them.
The two soldiers who caused the death of Lassana Cisse are free;
The employer who dumped a migrant by the side of the road like rubbish is free;
The many employers who abuse, underpay, mistreat African migrants are proud of their behaviors, convinced of the impunity.
DIER, the agency supposed to help employees to fight for their rights, is more feared than employers, due to the ruthless treatment that some members of their staff reserve for African immigrants.
More law enforcement is needed in order to protect the most vulnerable tranche of the society.