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2 maltatoday EXECUTIVE EDITOR Matthew Vella mvella@mediatoday.com.mt Letters to the Editor, MaltaToday, Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 E-mail: dailynews@mediatoday.com.mt Letters must be concise, no pen names accepted, include full name and address maltatoday | SUNDAY • 14 NOVEMBER 2021 Why Byron Camilleri has to go Editorial IT tells us something about the state of our criminal justice system, that news of yet another suicide in Malta's prison is no longer treated as a matter of national concern: but rather, as an 'inevitability'. It is as though the entire country has – in many cases, knowingly – resigned itself to a situation where its 'correctional facility' actually succeeds in killing its inmates, more than in 'rehabilitating' them. And this is not only shocking and shameful in itself; but it is also a grave blot on the character and reputation of the current administration of government. Even without a past history of entirely analo- gous prison deaths, over the past two years alone we see how deeply distressing it is that both the government, and large segments of the popula- tion, seem not to understand even the most basic concepts of human civilisation: including the cor- nerstone of fundamental human rights. Respect for the basic rights of prisoners is not – as is so commonly perceived – an 'act of mer- cy', or a 'generous concession by the State'. It is a fundamental moral obligation; which we owe, above all, to ourselves as civilised human beings; but also, a duty enshrined in all the treaties and conventions we have ever signed as a nation. Nor can it escape notice that this latest fatality is not only the third prison suicide to have oc- curred this year alone: but also, the 13th myste- rious death (many of them also suicides) to have taken place since 2018; when Colonel Alex Dalli was originally appointed as director of CCF. A controversial choice to begin with, Col. Dal- li also went on to establish a reputation as an iron-fisted, military drill-sergeant; and while there may even be some justification for that approach – it is, after all, a prison – this also coincided with numerous reports of alleged cruel, degrading treatment at the facility. Suffice it to say that Dalli is now the subject of numerous investigations and magisterial inquiries – many of which into unexplained deaths – and yet, throughout all this time, Justice Minister By- ron Camilleri has doggedly defended the prison director, every step of the way. He did this, much in the same way as he is now defending himself from resignation calls; but it must be said that, in both cases, his defence has been very flimsy indeed. "I decide on facts, such as on inquiries. In the coming days I hope to have in hand the copy of the last inquiry. I would also have the report of the inquiry that I had appointed. So every time I come to take a decision, I would do so based on facts, as that is my obligation as a minister," he said… … only this is not a quote from November 2021, in response to the latest prison suicide; on the contrary, it is from his reaction to a previous sui- cide – in September this year – where he also said that: "My thoughts are that, in the same way we in- troduced checks and balances within the Police Force, we would introduce checks and balances in the laws and systems regulating the prison. Through better systems of checks and balances we can provide peace of mind." Two months later, there are still no signs of any serious political will to implement this 'better sys- tem of checks and balances'; much more seriously, however, there has now been yet another fatality to add to the growing list. Clearly, then, it is insufficient to simply repeat the same excuses today, as two months ago. Yet that is what Camilleri appears to be doing. "I always acted and am obliged to act on the basis of the facts presented to me," he said in response to the latest tragedy. Unfortunately, however, that claim does not really stand up to scrutiny. The true facts – as they were presented to him on repeated occasions, by all the shocking news emerging from prison – is that government post- poned taking the necessary action on numerous occasions. In reality, Justice Minister Bryon Camilleri simply stood by, keeping Alex Dalli on board even after the second of three successive prison suicides, in the space of a few months. And with this latest prison death taking place while other inquiries, and an internal review of admission proceedings, were ongoing… it only il- lustrates the fact that Camilleri ignored countless earlier warnings, to persist with a policy that was clearly endangering lives. To cap it all, Byron Camilleri stopped short of taking the bull by the horns even now, after the latest incident. He has, in fact, been further humiliated, in that that it had to be the Director of Prisons, Alex Dalli, to suspend himself: thus demonstrating his degree of impunity, and illus- trating the blunt fact that no one could make him resign, unless he himself chose – as an act of grace – to go of his own accord. At the risk of being blunt: the least of these shortcomings renders Byron Camilleri unfit for purpose to serve in any ministry portfolio, still less, one as sensitive and consequential as home affairs. Clearly, he has to go. 13 November 2011 Speed camera fines decline after 2009 peak THE number of speed contraventions is- sued from speed cameras has fallen from 42,716 in 2009 to 33,432 in 2010, which is practically the same number of tickets is- sued in 2008. The declining trend continued over 2011 when only 19,614 tickets were issued in the first eight months of the year. The spike in fines corresponded with the introduction of 10 new speed cameras in 2009, placed in strategic locations, such as the St Paul's Bay bypass and the Coast Road. This shows that following a drastic 9,409 increase in tickets in 2009, tickets de- creased again by 9,354 between 2009 and 2010. Official statistics presented in parliament show that of the total 129,059 tickets issued in the past four years 13,176 have not yet been paid. In total, since 2008 the speed camera system has yielded €5.5 million. The government's reply to the PQ failed to reveal how much money actually goes to councils and how much ends up in the ad- ministration of the system. But the decline in tickets issued in 2010 and 2011 confirmed claims made by Guard & Warden CEO Kenneth De Martino, speed cameras are making less money "be- cause motorists are used to the system". Other statistics presented in parliament also show a decline in the number of tickets issued by wardens from 158,069 in 2008 to 137,769 in 2010. In the first 8 months of this year, 98,227 tickets were issued. The total amount of due fines since 2008 amounted to €13 million, of which less than €12 million was actually paid. .... Quote of the Week "These deaths could have been avoided had the minister not been a hostage to the prison director... despite knowing the system was killing detainees, Camilleri defended Dalli." Nationalist MP Beppe Fenech Adami MaltaToday 10 years ago