Ministry to issue public call for prison head of operations and administration

The Home Affairs Ministry is expected to issue a public call for the post of Corradino Correctional Facility head of operations and administration, MaltaToday has learnt.

In a press conference on Wednesday, National Security Minister Byron Camilleri confirmed current head Randolph Spiteri’s transfer. Spiteri had denied being transferred a couple of weeks ago.

Camilleri said Spiteri will be transferred to another unit within the ministry, while stating he has not received any reports of wrongdoing on Spiteri.

Prison sources had said that an inmate filed a report earlier this year accusing Spiteri of wrongdoing but the former prison official denied the existence of this report.

Randolph Spiteri – a former aide to PN minister George Pullicino – was the right-hand man to former prison director Alex Dalli, who suspended himself from the post following the third inmate suicide of 2021. Eventually, Dalli was replaced by former Red Cross chief Robert Brincau.

Spiteri had insisted with this newspaper that he was out on “personal leave and nothing more”, insisting he would be returning to the post after the break.

Sources close to government had told this newspaper about this administration’s objective to “continue with changes in the prison administration’s management”.

MaltaToday has learnt that among the candidates for the post is military officer Daren Micallef, who is currently occupying the post on an interim basis. Sources who spoke to this newspaper said Micallef started in the role on Monday. 

Who is Daren Micallef?

According to his LinkedIn profile, Daren Micallef is currently a Second-in-Command Air Wing officer at the Armed Forces of Malta.

“Experienced Military Officer with a long history of working in the military environment, locally and overseas in an international context,” Micallef’s LinkedIn bio reads.

He started working with the AFM in July 1997, and has risen through the ranks. His bio states he is “skilled in command and leadership, crisis management, intelligence analysis and operational planning.”

Daren Micallef

In 2010, Micallef had led a 12-member team from the AFM that was embedded on a Dutch warship as part of the EU's anti-piracy mission off the coast of Somalia.

Micallef is also a consultant on strategic management and leadership with AHEX, a human capital consultancy firm.