Prison inmate’s death ‘raises many questions’ – PN

The alleged suicide of a prison inmate remanded in custody a week ago has "raised a number of questions and is preoccupying", the Nationalist Party said in a statement yesterday evening.

A magisterial inquiry is underway into the death of a Corradino Correctional Facility inmate.

The unidentified male inmate's corpse was discovered in his cell at around 2pm, the home affairs ministry said in a statement.

MaltaToday was told by prison sources the inmate is Julian Genovese, 53, who was last week remanded in custody after pleading guilty to escaping from Mater Dei Hospital. Genovese was under preventive custody after facing charges of domestic violence two weeks ago, and of causing grievous bodily harm to a woman.

After escaping from Mater Dei, where he was taken to after complaining of chest pains, he was found at his partner's residence at Ta' Zwejt housing estate in San Gwann.

Magistrate Edwina Grima is investigating the alleged suicide. First indications are that the involvement of third parties or drug abuse have been ruled out in the death.

"The prisoner had only just been remanded in Corradino after having escaped from Mater Dei Hospital and sentenced to one year's imprisonment. The Opposition is asking what security measures were in place just before this inmate was found dead," Opposition shadow minister Jason Azzopardi said.

On its part, the home affairs ministry is not taking any questions on the circumstances of Genovese's death. "Any questions can only be answered once the magisterial inquiry is completed. We appeal for more sensitivity from the Opposition on this case," a statement from Manual Mallia's ministry said.

"We hope Azzopardi will show more responsibility on such a case and does not turn it into some political attack before the facts are established. The ministry is taking this case very seriously."

Genovese, a taxi driver, had a long history of crime, having been been previously jailed for three years in 2009, after assaulting his sister-in-law back in 2007. He had breached the conditions of a previous release and broken two suspended jail terms.