Bedingfield wants to criminalise mobile phone possession in prison

Home Affairs Minister Glenn Bedingfield is seeking legislative amendments to make the possession and use of mobile phones in prison a criminal offence.

The move follows the seizure of three mobile phones during searches at Corradino Correctional Facility on Saturday.

The devices were found in the cells of Robert Agius, known as Tal-Maksar, George Degiorgio, known as iċ-Ċiniż, and Italian national Damiano Torrisi. Agius and Degiorgio are serving prison sentences for their involvement in two separate murders.

It was later found that the mobile phones may have been used to carry out a murder plot from inside the prison.

Following the discovery, Bedingfield said he held discussions with the prison’s legal office, during which he learned that possessing a mobile phone in prison is not currently a criminal offence, but rather a breach of prison rules.

“To me, that is unacceptable,” he said in a Facebook post.

The minister has since requested legislative amendments to criminalise mobile phone possession in prison.

Bedingfield also held discussions with prison management and representatives of the General Workers’ Union (GWU) on ways to strengthen security at the facility. He said all parties agreed on the need to establish a Professional Standards Unit at Corradino.

“I hope that I will soon be in a position to publish these amendments,” Bedingfield said, adding that there was “no reason for anyone without bad intentions to disagree.”