PN: Home Affairs minister should suspend CCF director Robert Brincau

Nationalist spokesperson for home affairs Joe Giglio says prison director Robert Brincau should be suspended in light of court charges against him

Prison director Robert Brincau should be suspended in light of court charges against him, Home Affairs spokesperson Joe Giglio has said.

“In view of the fact that proceedings have been initiated against him, his moral authority has been seriously weakened,” Giglio said.

Brincau was arraigned by summons and not under arrest before Magistrate Charmaine Galea on Wednesday morning, and was charged with slight bodily harm, threatening a man with a weapon, insulting and threatening the man, carrying an unlicensed firearm in public, being armed during the commission of an offence and breaching the peace, in connection with the 21 August incident at Għadira Bay.

Brincau is also accused of having, on the same day, used electronic communications equipment to threaten the director of the rival ambulance service.

He is denying the charges and in court his lawyer argued this was a case of false reporting.

The PN said that while it recognises the improvements at the Corradino Correctional Facility under Brincau’s directorship, and understanding the sensitivity of having a vacuum within the prison’s administration, Brincau should be suspended until court procedures are concluded.

“Good governance requires that in circumstances such as these, he should be suspended until these procedures are concluded, and someone else appointed in his place,” Giglio said. “Failure to do so will send a wrong and dangerous message.”

Brincau, 49, took over the directorship of the Corradino Correctional Facility from Col. Alexander Dalli in 2021.

The former prison director Col. Alex Dalli was booted out after the 14th prison death marred his disastrous tenure as Corradino Correctional Facility (CCF) boss.

35-year-old Arun Josè was found dead in his cell at around 6:30am during the prison guard handover on Wednesday 10 September 2021.

After news broke of the suicide, Dalli was reported to have suspended himself, with the home affairs ministry appointing Red Cross chief Robert Brincau as prison CEO.