Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri has dismissed calls for his resignation, saying that he has always acted according to the facts.

On Wednesday, prison director Alex Dalli suspended himself after the latest inmate suicide.

The Nationalist Party called on Camilleri to resign, saying he had lacked the courage to dismiss Dalli.

Speaking to MaltaToday, Camilleri would not say whether he had asked Dalli to resign or whether the prison director had stepped down voluntarily. “It was a decision we reached an agreement on.”

Asked if changes were afoot at the prison, Camilleri said he had appointed an internal audit of the prison to evaluate the facility’s operations. The inquiry should conclude its work by the end of this month. “The conclusions will be made public, and we will implement the proposed changes.”

Camilleri said the ministry already has a number of changes planned, apart from changes that might be proposed by the inquiry.

The minister was also asked whether his position was still tenable. “I heard what the PN said today … they are not ones to speak about the prison. There are many genuine persons who speak about the prison, but the PN is certainly not among them. The situation under PN administrations was a free for all, a jungle.”

Camilleri said we must distinguish between those deaths that were natural and those that were suicides. An inquiry was held after every prison death and the majority had been confirmed as natural causes, he said. 

“There was only one inquiry that found shortcomings and the action was taken,” he said, referring to the two prison warders who were charged in court today over the death by suicide of a young inmate.

“Asked if he should have acted earlier, Camilleri said he always acted according to the facts brought before him. “I have always taken note of what was said in the inquiry reports, but none of the inquiries so far have found wrongdoing.”

He said he had spoken to the Prime Minister, who agrees with the decisions taken.