Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri does not need to resign, Prime Minister Robert Abela told MaltaToday after ex-prison director Robert Brincau was found guilty of injuring a man and carrying a firearm without a licence at Ghadira Bay in August last year.

Following Brincau’s conviction, he resigned and now Christopher Siegersma, who is currently the Commissioner for the Safeguarding and Development of Prisoners, will be appointed as chief executive instead of him.

The PN has called for the resignation or removal of Camilleri as, although Brincau has resigned, the PN said that he should have been suspended when he was initially accused.

When responding to questions outside Castille at the end of a Cabinet meeting, Abela defended Camilleri and even called him one of the “most productive” ministers and stuck by the government’s decision to not suspend Brincau following the accusation and wait for the courts to reach their verdict before making any decisions.

“The verdict was delivered today. Brincau resigned and this was accepted immediately, and a new director was appointed,” Abela said.