The Home Affairs Ministry has not provided any information about the internal inquiry into the death of a person under arrest, which was due to have been concluded on January 21.

There was no reply to questions which the Times of Malta has repeatedly sent to the ministry asking whether the inquiry has been concluded.

A 45-year-old Briton died on January 9 at the forensic unit of Mount Carmel Hospital while he was under arrest on offences related to drugs.

This newspaper has reported that a CCTV camera was installed in his room and another outside in the corridor.

The incident followed two similar deaths at the police lock-up in Floriana over the previous few weeks.

The incident followed two similar deaths at the police lock-up in Floriana over the previous few weeks

The day after the incident, Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela said in a statement to Parliament that he had appointed an internal inquiry which was to report its findings within a matter of 10 days.

The inquiry was charged with looking into the incident and reviewing procedures and regulations. It was also instructed to establish whether there was any negligence, in which case disciplinary action would be recommended.

The inquiry board is headed by Mcast human resources director Josephine Abdilla and includes the directors of detention services and the Agency for the Welfare of Asylum Seekers

The Opposition has criticised the composition of the inquiry board. It pointed out that one of the members did not have security clearance and was reinstated after the last election.

Moreover, it was not prudent of the government to have asked the head of detention services to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of a person in detention, the Opposition said.