Home Affairs minister calls George Degiorgio prison leave decision ‘insensitive’

The decision to grant Daphne Caruana Galizia murderer George Degiorgio prison leave to attend a baptism party was “insensitive”, Byron Camilleri said on Monday.

The Home Affairs Minister insisted in parliament that the decision to grant Degiorgio prison leave “should have never been taken”.

He was replying to a parliamentary question by Labour MP Randolph de Battista.

Degiorgio was granted prison leave by the prisons director and a judge to attend the baptism of his granddaughter in Rabat, followed by a reception. Photos of a smiling Degiorgio posing with relatives and friends during the party were posted on social media by his relatives, causing outrage.

“Irrespective of who took the decision to grant him prison leave, I do not think that people who carried out criminal acts and showed no remorse for what they did should enjoy such benefits that give out the message of business as usual,” Camilleri said.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Robert Abela criticised the decision and pinned it on the judge who granted Degiorgio prison leave for a limited time period and on strict conditions. The convict was accompanied by prison guards.

The prison chief had absolute discretion to decide on prison leave given Degiorgio’s conviction in the Caruana Galizia murder case, however he has a pending case in which he is charged with murder of lawyer Carmel Chircop. In this latter case, it is the criminal court that has to decide whether Degiorgio should have been given prison leave.

The Attorney General opposed the request in the latter instance but the judge went ahead and accorded prison leave.

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On Monday, Degiorgio's lawyers called out the criticism and coverage to their client's prison leave, which they insisted was granted according to law.