Updated 1.20pm

Byron Camilleri is to stay on as home affairs minister after gaining assurance he has the "full confidence" of the cabinet in the wake of an embarrassing drugs heist. 

The minister confirmed to Times of Malta he will stay in his role following a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, despite previously insisting that he should step down. 

He also revealed that arrests had been made in connection with the theft of drugs from an area that was meant to be secured by the Armed Forces. 

“Even though I was not directly involved in this affair, I believed, and I still believe that I should have carried political responsibility and so I offered my resignation," he said. 

However, Camilleri said that Robert Abela and cabinet’s show of support meant he felt comfortable staying on as home affairs minister despite the drug heist on AFM property. 

He said he met the prime minister several times on Monday to discuss the issue whem they agreed that Camilleri’s position would be discussed during Tuesday’s cabinet meeting. 

'I insisted (on resigning) once, twice, and even more'

He said he did not attend Monday’s parliamentary session because “I felt I needed to discuss the issue further”. 

“I insisted (on resigning) once, twice, and even more. But I appreciated the prime minister’s trust and that of the cabinet. Cabinet asked me to continue working and that’s what I will be doing,” he said.

In a statement issued shortly after the cabinet meeting, his fellow ministers described Camilleri's offer to resign as "a sign of responsibility". 

"At the same time, the Cabinet has expressed its confidence in the Minister for Home Affairs, Security, and Employment, who has always fulfilled his role with correctness and integrity, including in this particular case," it said.

"His work has resulted in continuous investment in disciplined forces, concrete solutions for irregular migration, and a stronger fight against crime."

Camilleri offered his resignation on Sunday shortly after it was revealed that 200kg of drugs had been stolen from a container held in a secure area at Safi barracks.

Abela immediately said he was rejecting the resignation, praising Camilleri for his commitment, integrity and the results of his five years at the ministry’s helm.

But Camilleri was noticeably absent from parliament on Monday, despite the opposition having requested a debate on the drugs heist.

Abela told journalists on Monday evening that Camilleri was still in office.

The cabinet statement reiterated the government's priority is to ensure that the police force resolves this case, that those responsible face justice as soon as possible, and that the full truth is uncovered.

"The Government looks forward to the conclusions of the administrative inquiry to establish the facts of this case and the recommendations that will emerge from the report," it said.

It appealed for caution and responsibility, urging that no actions or statements be made that could hinder the investigations.

Had Camilleri insisted on his resignation, it would have been the second blow of its kind to the prime minister following the resignation of Chris Fearne in May, also despite Abela’s pleas for him to stay in the saddle. 

Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo resigned in a cloud of scandal in November.  

No fresh appointments to the top table were made after Bartolo walked out in November, with the tourism portfolio having been added to that of Foreign Minister Ian Borg.

Byron Camilleri, a lawyer by profession and former mayor of Fgura, was first elected to parliament in 2017. He was appointed Home Affairs Minister in 2020, retaining that portfolio after Labour’s 2022 electoral success. Last year, he was also given additional responsibilities for employment.  

Under his watch, new regulations were introduced so that the police commissioner was appointed after a call for applications and evaluation by the Public Service Commission. He was harshly criticised, however, for not ensuring that the police did their duty to seriously investigate several high-profile cases. 

Camilleri won praise for improving the working conditions of the members of the disciplined forces and stamping out drug abuse at the prisons, but last month faced calls to resign after a report by the Ombudsman found significant evidence of widespread abuse, bullying and abuse during the tenure of Alex Dalli as director of prisons.

A few months previously he faced other calls to resign over a racket at Identità, the agency within his ministry responsible for the granting of ID cards and citizenship.