Double murderer released early on ‘good behaviour’

Notorious criminal and convicted murderer Charles Muscat, known as Il-Pips, was released from prison at the end of last month after serving two-thirds of his 25-year sentence, despite being implicated in drug trafficking from jail.

The Justice Ministry yesterday confirmed that he was given his full remission due to “good behaviour”.

Mr Muscat tested positive for drug use in prison some years ago – for which he was given an additional eight-month jail term. According to the prison regulations, all well-behaved prisoners get a third of their sentences chopped off.

In a press release referring to “unfounded allegations” that appeared on the Labour-owned Kullħadd newspaper, the Justice Ministry yesterday defended the fact that Mr Muscat got his remission in full.

The ministry said that whenever prisoners have to be disciplined, their period of remission is reduced. “But if, afterwards, there are no more cases and the prisoner behaves for a period of six months, the remission days are won back, either fully or partially.” According to prison records, Mr Muscat’s last disciplinary case was in December 2005 when he was found positive for drugs after a urine test. But by January 2008, he had won back the remission days he lost.

Referring to the drug trafficking case Mr Muscat is also facing, the Ministry pointed out that in 2003, after the compilation of evidence, he was granted bail.

“Therefore this case has nothing at all to do with his release from prison after serving two sentences. Every connection made in articles or by the Opposition leader are out of place.”

Mr Muscat, who was arrested and kept in jail since September 1994, was given a 25-year sentence in 1999 after jurors found him guilty of the murder of Emmanuel Sultana and of causing the death of Alfred Grima during a shooting incident.

Speaking about the case on the radio yesterday, Labour leader Joseph Muscat criticised the fact that Mr Muscat’s case, on alleged conspiracy to traffic drugs from jail, was still pending, 10 years after the compilation of evidence. A jury had not yet been appointed, he said.

This, he added, showed national security was going from bad to worse.

Meanwhile, MaltaToday yesterday claimed there is an ongoing investigation into commercial links between Charles Muscat and a prison warder who allegedly runs a company owned by Mr Muscat’s son. According to the newspaper, the warder has been suspended pending the investigation.

Questions sent by The Times about this case remained unanswered.