Updated - Government denies amnesty was an electoral pledge - The PN spokesman on home affairs, Jason Azzopardi, said this morning that the amnesty given to prisoners was an electoral promise made by various Labour candidates before the election.

Speaking outside the prisons, he said the Nationalist Party was informed that a number of Labour candidates and MPs who are now serving in the Cabinet had visited prisoners' families before the election and promised them this amnesty.

Dr Azzopardi criticised the granted of the amnesty saying that an electoral victory was no justification for it and such amnesties had not been granted after the recent general elections.

Furthermore, the amnesty was too broad, including everyone in it, such as drug traffickers, and only excluding those convicted of some crimes against children.

He noted that 143 prisoners would benefit from the amnesty and walk free by the end of this year, equivalent to the population of two prison divisions.

Last week in Parliament, Dr Azzopardi had asked whether the amnesty was a move to reduce the prison population, something which Home Affairs Minister Emanuel Mallia had denied. The minister had also denied that any electoral pledges were made.

His denial was repeated in a statement in the evening.