Corradino inmates refuse to sign petition for Dalli reinstatement

Prison inmates from four divisions inside Corradino Correctional Facility have refused to sign a petition in support of Lt. Col. Alex Dalli, who is suspended from CCF boss after a prison suicide last week – the 14th death in Corradino since he took over the reins.

Prison sources told MaltaToday that inmates in divisions 4, 5, 13 and 17 refused to sign the petition, but a few hardened inmates are believed to be supporting Dalli’s reinstatement – among them Leli Camilleri ‘il-Bully’, Alfred Bugeja ‘il-Porporina’, and Pierre Cremona ‘is-Cigar’, who were also said to have disseminated the petition handed to them by prison warders.

Leli l-Bully is currently serving a prison sentence for coordinating a substantial drug deal while serving time for the attempted murder of a police inspector. Il-Porporina is currently serving time for a number of crimes; while Pierre Cremona, whose Armier boathouse had been targeted in a bomb attack in 2014, was found guilty of trafficking and possession of 1kg of heroin.

The Home Affairs Ministry has refused to condemn the petition being disseminated among prison officials calling for Dalli’s reinstatement. Former Red Cross and Detention services chief Robert Brincau was appointed instead of Dalli.

Prison sources who spoke to this newspaper said there are currently two petitions being passed around in prison – one for inmates, and one for prison guards.

Sources said a number of guards are afraid of being singled out for not signing the petition. “They are telling us that Alex Dalli will be reinstated into his role, and so some are fearing retaliation for not signing it,” one source said. “How can you not sign, knowing the kind of things he is capable of?”

MaltaToday reached out to the Home Affairs ministry for an explanation on the matter, with questions on whether the minister feels it appropriate for such a petition to be disseminated, whether it will be halted, and whether Dalli will be reinstated should the petition garner enough signatures.

“The Ministry is only aware that there are workers that are exercising their right of signing a petition. However, decisions will be taken in the best interest of the Corrective Services Agency,” the reply read.

On Sunday, newspaper Illum reported on how the former prison director had boasted with a minister and government officials on how he bullied prisoners into submission by putting a gun in their mouth.

The newspaper reported that Dalli had also mentioned the name of at least one prisoner he threatened with the weapon, soon after becoming director.