Byron’s suspicious secrecy

“That person has been moved from the Correctional services agency and will be stationed in another unit within the Home Affairs Ministry,” Minister Byron Camilleri stated on 18 May 2022.

He didn’t mention the name of “that person”. He didn’t specify which unit “that person” was transferred to. He gave no explanation why “that person” was moved.

One year later “that person”, Head of Administration and Operations at Corradino Correctional facility Randolph Spiteri, remains listed as occupying the same role. He’s still receiving his Scale 4 salary from Prison. Months after Minister Camilleri’s claims that Spiteri had been moved out of his role, Spiteri was still using a prison car, a white Hyundai i20, complete with flashlights, beacon and siren. He regularly parked it in the car space “reserved for CSA (Correctional Services Agency) vehicle” outside his home.

Minister Camilleri was repeatedly asked questions about Spiteri. Camilleri doggedly stonewalled all questions. He didn’t explain why Spiteri is still on the prison books, one year after the Minister claimed he’d been moved out. The Minister didn’t explain why Spiteri was still using a prison car and still had a reserved car space. The Ministry refused to confirm whether Spiteri was reporting to work at his new job. They refused to answer why Spiteri was still being paid from Prison. The Minister refused to state exactly what Spiteri’s new role was.

When Minister Camilleri was pressed, he evaded the question, unhelpfully replying “It’s a role which falls under the Permanent Secretary”.

In February 2023, Minister Camilleri replied to a parliamentary question about prison officials transferred out over the past 4 years. Camilleri submitted a list of those officials. Spiteri wasn’t on it.

Minister Camilleri insisted in May 2022 that a public call would be issued to fill Spiteri’s role. His ministry stated: “a public call will be issued for the role of Chief Operating Officer at the Correctional Services Agency”. One year later no call has been issued.

Camilleri has been coming up with all sorts of excuses to justify the delay. “A new call will be issued once the Prison Human Resources Structure is formally approved”, his Ministry declared. What is the Minister waiting for? Does it take the minister a year to approve a structure at the only correctional facility in the country?

Minister Camilleri has been evasive from the start. He either refuses to reply to questions or provides such ambiguous replies that it’s practically impossible to know what’s going on.

What is he hiding? Why is he handling Randolph Spiteri with kid gloves?

Spiteri was Colonel Alex Dalli’s righthand man at Corradino. For years the two had been at the helm of the nation’s correctional facility. Serious allegations of mistreatment and inmate abuse were repeatedly ignored by Minister Camilleri. He only requested an inquiry after 8 inmates died in prison on Dalli’s watch.

Even when that inquiry concluded and its recommendations were published, Minister Camilleri continued to defend Colonel Alex Dalli. The Minister was finally compelled to remove Dalli from prison director, but he was careful not to upset Dalli. “Government is looking at ways to make use of his talents,” Byron Camilleri declared. He lauded Dalli’s work and the “much needed change” and “improved situation” he brought about at Corradino. And to make sure that Colonel Dalli was kept happy the Minister gave him a promotion despite the prisons’ fatal debacle. He was appointed the Maltese government’s “special envoy in Libya to coordinate with Libyan authorities on illegal immigration”.

Randolph Spiteri stayed on. The clamour for Spiteri’s removal grew louder when the prison inquiry concluded in December 2021. Although Spiteri was a central part of that discredited administration he had no intention of going anywhere. As government officials leaked information to the press that Spiteri would be moved out, he stuck to his guns.

When Spiteri went out on leave, he denied “rumours” that he was on forced leave. “I booked my leave myself and nobody asked me or forced me to go on leave…I simply wanted a rest. Can’t a government official take a day’s leave without being reported in the news?”, Spiteri rebutted. He insisted he would be returning to work in a few days. He never did.

But that very embarrassing public struggle between Spiteri and the Minister continued for weeks. On 26 April 2021, Spiteri insisted he would stay at Corradino. Even Dalli’s replacement as Prison Director, Robert Brincau, backed Spiteri - “I can confirm that he is out on leave - he is not being transferred elsewhere”.

But on 5 May 2022, the Times reported that Spiteri had missed the annual graduation ceremony for new prison guard recruits. The Ministry again briefed the press that Spiteri would be removed. But Spiteri kept insisting that “allegations of his departure were unfounded” and that he was still on leave and was scheduled to return to work in the coming days.

It would take another fortnight before Minister Byron Camilleri publicly declared “that person” would be transferred away from Corradino.

Yet, over a month later, the government database still listed Randolph Spiteri as Head of Administration and Operations at the correctional services agency. Over a year later it still does. And Spiteri is still paid his salary by the Prison. No public call has been issued for his replacement. And Darren Micallef, who took over Spiteri’s role just months ago, has just resigned, leaving the job vacant. Dalli’s replacement, Robert Brincau, also resigned in disgrace after receiving a oneyear suspended jail term.

Byron Camilleri still won’t answer basic questions. Even at the best of times, Camilleri was never convincing. Now it’s difficult to believe a word he says. Faced with multiple tragic deaths, Camilleri’s frightful callousness and unconscionable protection of Dalli and Spiteri jars. He’s still concealing facts for good reason.

Eight people died while Dalli and Spiteri ruled Corradino. They know exactly what happened and who’s to blame. And Minister Camilleri needs to keep both men quiet.