In a letter I wrote in October 2011 regarding the death of the 32-year-old irregular Nigerian immigrant Nwokoye who was on the run after escaping from the Safi detention centre, I pointed out the uselessness of the three simultaneous inquiries set up at the time and which remain unconcluded.

Since then, the Minister for Justice concerned has resigned and a new Minister is in place.

This should present a window of opportunity on the part of the Ministry of Justice to abandon the previous policy of multiple simultaneous inquiries into cases of sudden unexpected deaths and to concentrate on and enforce the parameters of a single, independent judicial inquiry as provided by law.

Such a course should avoid the obfuscations, delays and expense of unnecessary multiple inquiries, which as the current repeated instance of a sudden death under custody shows, is simply a denial of justice.

To date, the cause of death under custody of the young illegal Nigerian immigrant, Nwokoye, in April 2011, remains hidden to the public by the Minister for Justice, and no special meetings of selected people with the Prime Minister can offer the unequivocal answer.

Transparency in meting out justice calls for more than lip service.

Prof. J.A Muscat

TA’ XBIEX