The Home Affairs Ministry has confirmed that the police are investigating the theft of hundreds of quilts worth thousands of euro from the Hal Far Open Centre.

The Malta Independent is informed that around 300 quilts were stolen from a store room at the centre some weeks ago. Informed sources said a security guard employed by a private company was being suspected by the police.

The centre is guarded by government security officers as well as officers provided by a private contractor. Sources said the government employees work shifts covering until 4am while the private security guards work until 7am. The quilts were reportedly stolen between 4am and 7am.

This paper is informed that all security personnel who were on duty on the night of the theft were spoken to by the police and had their fingerprints taken.

An informed source said the quilts had been stored at the centre for some months and were recorded in a stock taking exercise carried out in February. Some 300 quilts – worth around €5,000 – were stolen out of a total of 500.

It was explained to this newspaper that government guards operate a system to avoid theft but this cannot be enforced after their shift is over. The source said the police were on the lookout for anyone who might be trying to sell quilts in bulk numbers, including over the internet.

For some reason the case never made it in the newspapers. When contacted about the case, a Ministry spokesperson said “the Agency for the Welfare of Asylum Seekers (AWAS) has referred the case to the police and currently a police investigation is underway.”