Robert 'Tal-Maksar' Agius, George 'Iċ-Ċiniż' Degiorgio and an Italian inmate are among prisoners found in possession of mobile phones in their cells, with police investigating the discovery.
Home Affairs Minister Glenn Bedingfield said on Saturday morning that he had been informed that police were investigating a number of inmates following the discovery of mobile phones in their cells.
Sources close to the investigation told MaltaToday that the phones were found in the possession of Agius, known as Tal-Maksar, Degiorgio, known as Iċ-Ċiniż, and an Italian prisoner.
Agius is serving a life sentence for supplying the bomb that killed journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in October 2017. Degiorgio is serving a 40-year prison sentence for Caruana Galizia's murder, as well as a life sentence for his involvement in the murder of lawyer Carmel Chircop.
Bedingfield insisted that all inmates would be treated equally, ruling out any preferential treatment.
"If it were up to me, I would even publish their names, but I have to respect the police investigation," he wrote on Saturday.
"Everyone is equal before the law," he added.
The latest investigation comes amid previous controversy over the possession of electronic devices in prison, involving Agius's brother, Adrian.
Earlier this year, a laptop was seized from Adrian Agius's prison cell after officers discovered that it had been used to access the internet without authorisation.
The laptop had been authorised for educational purposes in May 2024, subject to the condition that it could not connect to the internet. However, prison officers subsequently discovered that its security seals had been broken, enabling internet access.
An internal inquiry led by retired judge Antonio Mizzi found that the laptop had been used to download more than 100 pornographic videos. However, the inquiry found no evidence of criminal activity.
The report, published in July, identified shortcomings in prison procedures governing electronic devices and recommended tighter security controls.
A copy of the inquiry report was also forwarded to Police Commissioner Angelo Gafà.
Police investigations into the latest discovery of mobile phones are ongoing.