The government will be setting up a small tourism police unit, Home Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia said this evening. The unit will have some 25 uniformed officers based in places related to tourism such as St Julian's and Sliema.

Dr Mallia made the announcement during a consultation meeting held as part of the series called Gvern li-jisma.

During the wide-ranging discussion, the minister heard complaints from prisoners' NGO Mid-Dlam ghad dawl about poor conditions at Coradino prison.

George Busuttil said that it was unacceptable that 25 African prisoners were all gathered together in one division and could only use one toilet.

"It is not healthy that all these prisoners have just one toilet. It is also unhygienic and possibly dangerous for health," he said.

Acknowledging that the situation was a consequence of the current state of overcrowding, he suggested that foreign inmates, who, he said amount to some 30 per cent of the 630 current inmates, should be repatriated.

Dr Mallia said that the government found a difficult situation at the prisons and was doing its utmost to remedy the situation. He said that the parole system was now being implemented and four prisoners had already benefited.

ARMY GRIEVANCES

 

On the armed forces, Dr Mallia said that a total of 381 members have asked the government-appointed Grievances Board to investigate their case, claiming injustices. He said that the board, headed by Brigadier (rtd) Maurice Calleja, has heard 213 cases. Dr Mallia said that he would be acting on the basis of the board's recommendations without creating new injustices.

With regard to the new ID cards, Dr Mallia said his ministry was doing, within a few months, what the PN government has not done for 12 years. The rolling out of the new E-ID cards would pick up momentum in the coming months, averting the potential loss of €8m in EU funds.

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