Charles Muscat, convicted of double murder and recently released from prison early for good conduct, has defended the decision to free him – saying he earned every day discounted from his term legitimately.

In an exclusive interview with The Sunday Times, the man known as il-Pips insisted he reformed himself against the odds at the Corradino Correctional Facility, which he claimed is “full of drugs”.

His comments come in the wake of a controversy that erupted after news broke out of his early release on July 25. He served 17 years of his 25-year-sentence, five of which were at the forensic unit of Mount Carmel Hospital.

The Labour Party’s official newspaper, Kull Ħadd, reported that Mr Muscat had tested positive for drugs while in prison and had a case pending for conspiracy to import four kilos of cocaine and a kilo of cannabis while in prison.

Some 19 people were charged in connection with the case, including Mr Muscat’s wife Yvette. However, following the compilation of evidence nine years ago, the case has still not gone to trial.

In a candid defence, Mr Muscat said he had actually tested positive on more than 25 occasions – not once as reported – before enrolling in a drug rehabilitation programme around 2005.

However, he insisted that while the prison authorities penalised him by cutting down what is known as remission (a discount on a prison sentence for good behaviour) every time he tested positive, he won it back after he started his treatment by “not getting a single report or positive test in five years. “This is all documented,” he insisted.

“This is the (remission) system applied to everyone. Many people before me left prison early and nobody said a word. This fuss is being kicked up because it’s me, il-Pips.”

Talking about the trafficking proceedings, he said police did not really have a case against him and certainly not against his wife “who never had anything to do with these things... otherwise they would have produced it in nine years”.

He also stressed that his remission could not have been reduced on the basis of this “allegation”.

“So if I say that I saw your wife with someone else, would you throw her out of the house, or would you ask for proof before taking any action?”