The decision not to grant parole to terminally ill prisoner Godfrey Ellul came after recommendations from consultants at Mater Dei, a spokesman for the Parole Board said.

“The Board, in terms of Article 11 of Chapter 516, arrived at its decision of January 13, in the light of the professional advice given by the consultants at Mater Dei Hospital for the serious disease indicated by inmate,” the spokesman said.

Mr Ellul’s sister Betta Ellul, 60, said her 67-year-old brother’s surgeon, Walter Busuttil, had sent an e-mail to the board confirming that Mr Ellul was suffering from terminal lung cancer, among other illnesses.

Ms Ellul was stunned to learn her brother had not been granted parole in light of the surgeon’s prognosis.

Ms Ellul was stunned to learn her brother had not been granted parole

In the e-mail, seen by this newspaper, the surgeon judged Mr Ellul’s long-term prognosis to be “poor” and said he was suffering from a heart disease that could also be life-threatening.

Mr Busuttil, a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon at Mater Dei Hospital, had told Ms Ellul that he had sent his prognosis to the parole board.

No other information was available on who the other consultants appointed by the board were and what they recommended.

Mr Ellul, a former drug addict, has six years of his sentence left to serve and is not yet eligible to apply for parole except on grounds of terminal illness.

A spokeswoman for the Home Affairs Ministry said there “is no legal provision of release from prison on compassionate grounds”.

The Parole Board spokesman said that before a decision on parole was taken, the board evaluated the applications presented by inmates, various reports and the court sentences. The board also followed the progress of the parolee.

The parole request was made in July, after Mr Ellul was diagnosed with lung cancer.

Tonight’s edition of Times Talk, screened on TVM at 10.05pm, will be discussing Mr Ellul’s case and whether clemency should be shown towards prisoners with fading health.