Acting Prisons Director Emanuel Camilleri has resigned less than six months after he was appointed by the Home Affairs Minister, Times of Malta is informed.

A spokeswoman for the Home Affairs Ministry confirmed Mr Camilleri’s resignation. She said that for the time being, Assistant Police Commissioner Raymond Zammit has taken over Mr Camilleri’s responsibility until a call for a new director is published.

Contacted yesterday to confirm his resignation and the reasons behind it, Mr Camilleri refused to reply and said “he doesn’t communicate with the media”.

However, sources said his departure was related to a fall-out with ministry officials over the running of the prison facilities. He had been on sick leave for the past few weeks.

Replying to questions by this newspaper, the spokeswoman said the set-up of the prison reform board is now taking place and envisages a head for education and reform and a head for operations, apart from the position of a director.

“Now that this set-up is taking place, Emanuel Camilleri resigned from the post of acting director to consider an opportunity as head of education and reform or another opportunity within the same ministry.” The board was set up by Minister Manuel Mallia to review the prison’s operations and propose a new structure.

Mr Camilleri – a former police inspector – was handpicked by Dr Mallia to serve as acting prisons director last April. He was given a direct position of trust and no vacancy had been published.

After stepping down from his role as a police inspector in 2002, Mr Camilleri continued his career as a teacher in personal and social development and also acted as a court expert on domestic violence cases.

Meanwhile, Times of Malta is informed that while the Home Affairs Ministry is currently searching for a new prison director, it also recruited another former police officer Stephen Buttigieg to act as prisons’ assistant director of operations.