The police are carrying out an internal investigation after an Italian businessman alleged that he was beaten up by members of the Rapid Intervention Unit in Zebbug last Saturday.

The claims are accompanied by video footage, in which officers from the Rapid Intervention Unit – the mobile police – are seen involved in an altercation with the businessman, Fabrizio Sciré and his son.

So far, the police officers involved have not yet been suspended from their duties, as usually happens, despite the fact that video footage has been passed on to the police and other authorities, Times of Malta reports.

The Italian embassy was also informed about the incident and is investigating.

A police spokesman on Tuesday confirmed that “the police have received these reports and are investigating what had actually happened to establish the facts”.

However, the spokesman emphasised that “the police officers involved are denying that they beat up the Italian men”.

The Sicilian businessman, Fabrizio Sciré, set up shop in Malta’s construction industry together with his family three years ago. He recounted to Times of Malta that last Saturday night, a neighbour of his stores in Żebbuġ informed him that one of his construction trucks, parked outside his stores, was on fire.

“I was desperate and in tears. I asked the police officers, already on site to help me move my other vehicles, which were also in danger of catching fire,” he said.

According to Sciré, some of the police officers surrounded him and instead of helping him started pushing him and calling him names.

 “At that point, one of the officers starting pushing me to the wall and punching me violently on the head while other officers joined in and kicked me in other parts of my body. Another police officer hit me on the head with his radio,” Mr Sciré said.

He added that, his eldest son, who was present while the police were beating him, intervened to try to diffuse the situation.