An osteopath who was found guilty of abusing his patients in the United Kingdom and struck off the register there is now seeking to establish some form of practice in Malta, this newspaper has learned. But it gets complicated. Apparently there are three Maltese physicians with the same name. One of them practices osteopathy in London, while the other is a physiotherapist in Malta.
It is understood that the matter has been reported to the local competent authority - the Council for Professions Complementary to Medicine in Malta. The UK council which struck him off has also informed The Superintendent of Public Health as well as the Director of Health Care Standards in Malta.
Osteopathy is a form of alternative medicine and treatment consist of stretching and massaging the patient's muscles and joints. The practice is different than that of a chiropractor.
The man in question was found guilty by a tribunal court in the UK of manipulating and abusing a female patient, who was desperate to lose weight. The tribunal heard how Tonio Aguis, 41, had invited the woman to live at his home, as part of a 'residential programme'. He then proceeded to tell her that she would be his 'personal slave'. In addition, during a trip to London together, he booked one hotel room for them both with a double bed and told the patient that she would be his "personal assistant" during the visit.
Aguis was also found guilty of failing to leave the room when the patient was undressing, and that he made inappropriate gestures with a colonic irrigation tube before inserting it. The hearing of the case took six days; however Aguis failed to show in court, claiming to be suffering from an anxiety-depressive disorder. The case was reported by British newspaper The Daily Echo. The newspaper contacted Agius' former employer in Southampton Peter Laurence, manager of City Healing, said Mr Agius had resigned from the clinic.
The UK General Osteopathic Council ruled that his behaviour was "deplorable" and ordered for him to be struck off the register. The decision, which this newspaper has in hand, is a lengthy one and contains multiple charges.
Finding 52 out of the 54 allegations proved against Agius, the tribunal ordered for him to be struck off as he had shown no regret or remorse, posing a "real risk of repetition". The decision was issued on 16 December 2013.
The individual in question was also featured in the newspaper The Mirror. The article reports how the osteopath held a heart, then stood by a skeleton in photos published on his networking site. The organs in question were donated to the institution for purpose of research. Authorities however notified the institution, which luckily for Aguis, decided not to press charges. Since then, the photos have been removed from the social networking website.
According to local legislation, one needs to be registered with the relevant council in order to practice certain techniques or to identify oneself as a chiropractor, acupuncturist, physical therapists, or osteopath.