On the day society, in the form of a jury panel, found the prison system guilty of failing to control drug trafficking within its walls, the national drug commission advised caution on the interpretation of figures indicating that 41 per cent of prison inmates tested positive for drugs last year. A government statement clarified that the latest report on the drug situation did not say that people who were drug-free when admitted to prison started taking drugs while serving time.

Well, the trial by jury of a female inmate who ran a “door-to-door” drug delivery service at Corradino Correctional Facility paints a completely different picture.

This is how the presiding judge, Mr Justice Michael Mallia, put it in his judgement (translated from Maltese “... the verdict of the jury is not only a verdict against Josette Bickle (the accused) but against the system, which allowed her to operate with such impunity for such a long time. A system that appears to have failed and where there is nothing ‘correctional’ at the facility but which is proving to serve the opposite purpose, whereby people who are relatively ‘clean’ face a big risk of walking out of prison in a worse situation than when admitted”.

The judge also noted that for two whole years Ms Bickle acted with impunity under the eyes of guards and prison officials. It was impossible for them not to realise what was going on, even considering that heroin was consumed in the cells and the guards could smell the substance from the corridors.

Given the number of visits Mr Bickle was allowed to have and the ease with which drugs ended up in her possession could not but indicate “collusion with the authorities”.

Mr Justice Mallia did not specify what he meant by “the authorities” but he did point out that he strongly suspected the collusion “extended well beyond the confines of prison because although the (prison) director who served at the time was removed the problem still remains...”

Can anything be more damning than that? What happens now? Who will carry the can? Will there be another inquiry, the findings of which will never see the light of day, as has already been the case.

It is an insult to society for the authorities to say that Ms Bickle was prosecuted as a result of a previous inquiry. For, although that may well be the case, the problem remains, as Mr Justice Mallia pointed out.

The judge noted that perhaps the situation was tolerated because that was the only way in which to control the overpopulated prison. If that is so then it is again a case of the government having its priorities wrong.

Figures given in Parliament show that, as of late June, there were 559 males and 41 females in prison. At the beginning of the year there were 179 correctional officers.

Surely no government minister or civil servant could have dreamt of solving the over-population problem by having a “queen” and her “court” in prison.

It is now time for action not words. It is time for heads to roll and for people – politicians, civil servants, senior police officers, prison guards, correctional officers – to face charges.

The law-abiding society expects to hear of suspensions, investigations, prosecutions and convictions. Now and not in the future.

The Prime Minister should without delay ask the Speaker to convene Parliament to debate and decide on this matter in which society rightly expects to stand as judge and jury.