The shadow minister for home affairs, Michael Falzon, has called for an independent audit of the way the prison authorities make their purchases, claiming there is blatant abuse.

Speaking at a press conference this morning, he said the prisons lacked a purchasing structure where no calls for tenders or quotations were made.

Asked for specifics, he mentioned the case of a person in the accounts department at the prisons who, he said, purchases items from a shopowner who is a relative.

There was also a case, he said, where a prison employee received a fine while using an official car, and the fine was paid by the office and passed off as vehicle maintenance.

Dr Falzon also questioned the recruitment process at the prisons and called for transparency. He asked why the process was handled by a selection board with the Director of Prisons not involved.

DRUGS

Dr Falzon said the problem of drug abuse at the prisons persisted, and  Divisions 12 and 13 were 'awash' with drugs.

He said that Division 6, which is supposed to be the maximum security section, is even housing prisoners for minor cases.

Dr Falzon said the prisons were continuing to suffer a severe shortage of staff. In one division there were just two warders for 50 prisoners.

He said nothing was being done to strengthen the reform aspect of the prison.

Furthermore, although parole legislation was approved by Parliament months ago, it was still not functioning.

MINISTRY'S REACTION

In a reaction, the Home Affairs Ministry said that while Dr Falzon had complained about a shortage of warders in a number of divisions, he had then criticised the government and tried to instil doubts in the recruitment process.

The ministry said the government was strengthening the management structure of the prisons, including the setting up of various boards under the new Reparative Justice Act, as well as the new autonomous Probation and Parole Department.   

The engagement of more warders was the next step in the prisons reform. The process was being carried out in terms of the rules of the Public Service Commission and the prison management was adequately represented on the selection board, although it would be wrong for management to make the choices, as Dr Falzon had tried to imply.  

The ministry also insisted that public procurement regulations were being observed. It said that not all purchases needed to be made after a call for tender, although, obviously, items could not be bought from relatives.  

The ministry said that it did not result that any private traffic fine was paid for from public prison funds.

The ministry also praised warders for their successes in weeding out drug trafficking at the prisons. Recently, 12 persons had been arraigned for trying to take prohibited items into the prison, with 10 involving drugs.