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Matthew Vella
Magisterial inquiries have been launched into four drug finds over the last month at the Corradino Correctional Facility. The Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs has confirmed that in all four cases, the district and drug squad police have been informed.
Sources told MaltaToday that the four cases, which also include convicted double-murderer Charles ‘Pips’ Muscat, were slightly more than the average occurrences throughout the year. In 2003 alone, 27 urine samples were taken from suspected drug users, whilst in two months this year, 16 drug tests have already been taken.
The four prisoners being investigated are Charles Muscat, who was found with 2 grams of heroin at St Luke’s Hospital whilst undergoing surgical treatment; Eman Zammit, who was found with half a gram of heroin hidden in his shoes on his return to Corradino from the hospital; Sandro Mifsud, subsequently transferred to Division 1 from Division 11 after cannabis was found in his cell; and Briton Steve Caddick, in whose trouser pockets was found a small piece of suspected cannabis.
A duty Magistrate was also informed and an inquiry was ordered and experts appointed in each case. According to the Ministry, the CCF director has not been informed of the outcome of the cases, but criminal and disciplinary action is expected to be taken if the substances that have been found are illicit.
Prisoners accused of drug possession could face an added toll of 365 days in prison, if disciplined by the prison authorities directly.
CCF director Superintendent Sandro Gatt confirmed to this newspaper that drugs were a normal occurrence in every prison in the world, and said that having worked in the drug squad for six years, he regularly ran spot-checks in the prison chambers.
“We are doing our utmost to control any form of drug inflow, because you can never solve this problem. At this point, we have to wait until it is proven that what was found was indeed an illicit drug, and that the link with the convict is proven.”
matthew@newsworksltd.com
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