Prison director's 'abusive' behaviour unacceptable, lawyers’ body says

The Chamber of Advocates has decried an incident at Corradino Correctional Facility yesterday, in which Yorgen Fenech defence lawyer Charles Mercieca was allegedly intimidated by the Director of Prisons, Col. Alexander Dalli.

The incident, which was reported yesterday and captured on CCTV, occurred on 16 November when Mercieca had gone to speak with his client, who is currently on remand in prison.

The complaint states that 10 minutes into the meeting, the conversation was interrupted by the prison director accompanied by one of his assistants Helenio Galea.

The lawyers claim that Dalli started speaking in a rude manner, insisting the documents were not to be allowed during the meeting.

The lawyers had explained that the documents were needed for the approaching court hearing, and had the right to show them to the accused.

Outraged, Dalli kept on insisting that every single paper needs to be documented and scanned by prison officials. The documents were not handed over.

The commotion continued outside the prison’s lawyers’ room, with the prison director swearing and banging on the reception desk when speaking to Mercieca.

The defence team said Dalli, surrounded by five prison guards, went on to say that he “doesn’t give a fuck” (ala zobbi) about anyone.

“I don’t give a fuck about the court. I own this place, I take decisions around here, and everyone has to obey me,” Dalli reportedly said.

In an official release, the Chamber said that Mercieca had been subjected “in an abusive and intolerable manner” to conduct aimed at intimidating him in his duties as a lawyer “by none other than the Director of Prisons Alex Dalli.”

“The Chamber cannot and is not going to accept conduct by any public official who in his own words feels above the law to use shouting, foul language and the presence of other subordinate officers of his to attempt to intimidate a lawyer who was simply doing his duty, in an attempted show of force,” said the chamber in a statement this morning.

Mercieca had complained to the chamber, which said that at best, the director’s actions were “embarrassing and at worst constituted a clear obstruction of justice by a court official, as well as an abuse of power.” 

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