An inquiry board that probed the death of an illegal immigrant who was caught after escaping from the Safi Detention Centre last April has called for disciplinary measures to be taken against a number of officials involved in the incident.
But in “some cases”, the action against officials cannot yet be taken until the autopsy results are released by the magisterial inquiry.
The board also said the Detention Services Commander was responsible for the shortcomings in training and inobservance of established procedures.
The inquiry, which was led by former government adviser Martin Scicluna, was ordered a day after seven migrants escaped from detention last April. Infeanyi Nwokoye, 29, died in hospital some time after he was intercepted and taken back to the centre. Meanwhile, another migrant was caught and five others remained on the run.
Although they were submitted in August, the board’s recommendations were only published by the Home Affairs Ministry yesterday evening.
The inquiry found that there should be more detailed procedures about the opening and closing of security doors at the centre and that all detention services officials should be regularly trained in first aid.
They should also be given regular training about how to deal with “particular and complex situations” like the one that happened on the night.
“The responsibility for the shortcomings regarding training, and the inobservance of established procedures, falls on the Detention Services Commander,” the board said, referring to Lt Col Brian Gatt.
The board added that CCTV cameras should be installed in all detention centres and an isolation cell should be created at the Safi detention centre as exists at the Lyster centre in Ħal Far.
Besides CCTV cameras, hand-held video cameras should also be available and used whenever there is a serious incident.
The Home Affairs Ministry said it had passed on the recommendations to Lt Col Gatt for application.
Training programmes are being prepared by various stakeholders, including NGOs, to strengthen the detention services’ ability to give first aid and manage complex situations.
Existing security procedures are also being revised, the government said, while a procedure has been started to install CCTV cameras in all detention centres.
“The concerned authorities are considering in detail the board’s comments, so that, where possible, disciplinary steps are taken expeditiously, without compromising ulterior procedures that could result from the magisterial inquiry,” the ministry said.
The board’s inquiry will be published once the magisterial inquiry is concluded.
Mr Nwokoye had been living in Malta since 2006 but his request for asylum had been rejected. He was recently returned to the detention centre after the deportation paperwork was settled.
The seven immigrants – from Egypt, Algeria, Palestine and Somalia – made their break for freedom during a change of shift on April 16, a Saturday night.
A soldier was injured during the escape, needing eight sutures.
Government sources had said Mr Nwokoye had a slow pulse after he was caught and was likely to have suffered a heart attack.
Magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona is conducting the magisterial inquiry.