Prison convict ‘il-Porporina’ ends hunger strike

Prison convict Alfred Bugeja, known as il-Porporina, ended his hunger strike after going eight days without eating food. He reportedly went on hunger strike after he was denied prison visits following a positive test for drugs.

Bugeja is still serving seven years in jail since he was last convicted in 2010 for seven years by jurors who found him guilty of stealing a car and its contents, including a shotgun. Bugeja has 52 previous convictions on 49 pages of criminal record.

Prison sources said that Bugeja had tested positive for drugs and was now confined to Corradino Correctional Facility’s Division 12. He had his visits and delivery of food from home cancelled.

In protest, Bugeja was said to have gone on hunger strike on Friday 5 September. As is normal practice, he was regularly monitored by prison staff and nurses stationed at the CCF.