A male prisoner was found dead at Corradino Correction Facility yesterday and was identified by informed sources as Julian Genovese.

Mr Genovese, 53, was jailed for 14 months last Friday for escaping from prison guards who had taken him to Mater Dei Hospital while he was in preventative custody.

The Government issued a brief statement saying the corpse was discovered at 2pm yesterday. It did not identify the body.

According to the Government, early indications ruled out the involvement of drugs or third parties.

Informed sources said the death was being treated as a suicide. They added that prisoners were usually resting in their cells with the doors closed at 2pm, when the body was found.

Early indications ruled out the involvement of drugs or third parties

It is not yet known in which division Mr Genovese was housed or whether he had a cell-mate. Magistrate Edwina Grima is leading an inquiry.

In a statement, the Nationalist Party said the incident had raised questions over what surveillance measures had been used to avoid this happening.

Mr Genovese, a former taxi driver, had been facing charges of causing grievous bodily harm to a woman.

He escaped from Mater Dei, where he had been complaining of chest pains at around 9am on August 22.

Just over an hour later he was apprehended by police at his partner’s residence in Ta’ Żwejt Housing Estate, limits of San Ġwann.

The media as a rule does not report on suicides because it does not wish to encourage ‘copycat’ attempts in any way.

An exception was made in this case because the alleged suicide took place in a correctional facility, in which the State has a duty of care.

In 2010, British inmate Barry Charles Lee was found to have committed suicide in his cell while awaiting trial for the cultivation of cannabis.

Following Mr Lee’s suicide, there were damning media reports on conditions inside the section of jail where he was held.