Updated: Crises in Home Affairs 'at breaking point' - Falzon

 Crises within the sector of Home Affairs have reached breaking point, but Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici is "in a state of denial", his Opposition counterpart Michael Falzon said today.

Dr Falzon, speaking at a press conference, cited several issues, ranging from the re-occurrence of violent incidents at Paceville to further drug finds within Corradino prison and the police reopening an investigation into the death of an individual while in custody.

He noted how two separate parliamentary motions concerning the Home Affairs Ministry were yet to be debated in parliament, claiming that Dr Mifsud Bonnici is using his role as Leader of the House to delay debate.

Accusing the minister of having a direct conflict of interest, Dr Falzon said that "It appears clear from the House Business Committee that there's government resistance to these things being discussed."

The Opposition spokesman said that recent events within the Police corps were a further sign of deterioration. This week, the police arraigned former officer Adrian Lia on charges of stealing €30,000 in cash from the police headquarters in Floriana.

Mr Lia was also the same officer implicated in the mysterious death of Nicholas Azzopardi, who died while in police custody shortly after claiming he had been beaten. He was found at the bottom of the bastion wall behind police headquarters.

A magisterial inquiry had cleared the police of any wrongdoing, but the Police Commissioner has now asked for the inquiry to be reopened – "something the Minister did not want to do," Dr Falzon said yesterday.

"It's food for thought. As the Prime Minister is fond of saying, nothing happens by chance," Dr Falzon said.

The Labour MP said the death of migrant Osama Al Shzliaoy last week, killed when he was shoved to the ground by two men in a Paceville street, was yet another example of the deteriorating situation within Malta's entertainment hotspot.

MINISTRY'S REACTION

The Home Affairs Ministry denied that it is holding up the debate on the motions in parliament but said the business of the House is dictated by the national interest, with the priority at present related to the economic situation in Europe and the Estimates.

The ministry denied the claims made about the prisons and said various successful measures have been taken to stop drugs from being taken into the prisons.Progress was also being made for the rehabilitation of prisoners but the Opposition did not seem interested in such successes.

The ministry regretted that the Opposition was trying to undermine and discredit the Police over what was happening in Paceville. The police maintained a strong presence in this problematic area and while it would continue to take whatever measures it felt necessary, this did not mean that people would not try to break the law and abuse.

It was 'immoral', the ministry said, that the Opposition tried to make mileage on the basis of the tragic death of a foreigner. Indeed, the Opposition should know that penalties for racially motivated crime had been considerably raised.

On the case of Nicholas Azzopardi and the police officer who was given a medal when Labour was in power, the ministry said the credibility of the police force had been strengthened rather than weakened. The police had taken the required action in court and also called on the Attorney General to reopen the inquiry into Mr Azzopardi's death.

The Minister of Home Affairs never declared himself to be against a reopening of this inquiry. But it was worth recalling that the case was already studies twice - by Magistrate Anthony Vella and Judge Albert Manche' who both found no wrongdoing by the police.

The ministry regretted twisting of facts by the Opposition and expressed its appreciation for the valuable work of the police.