Updated 8.20pm
The Ministry of Home Affairs has appointed an inquiry after a man accused of threatening his wife was let out of prison for almost a month, despite being denied bail four times.
The inmate was released from Corradino Correctional Facility on July 19 when he should have been held in remand.
Shadow Justice Minister Jason Azzopardi called for a public inquiry after the situation was revealed in a court sitting held on Tuesday morning.
“Though the accused was supposedly being kept under preventive arrest at the Corradino Correctional Facility, it transpired that he has been roaming free since July 19,” Azzopardi said.
The Home Affairs Ministry said the minister, Byron Camilleri, had reacted as soon as he was informed of the case. The inquiry, headed by former chief justice Joseph Azzopardi, will establish the facts and make whatever recommendations are deemed necessary, the ministry said.
Azzopardi, who is also a criminal lawyer, said the man is facing charges of seriously threatening his wife and of breaching a protection order.
He had been denied bail by a court on four occasions including by Mr Justice Aaron Bugeja.
“It is scandalous that this incident only came to light after a magistrate noticed that the accused was not being escorted back to prison by the police at the end of the sitting,” the MP remarked.
The man's lawyers, Gianluca Caruana Curran and Charles Mercieca, confirmed to Times of Malta that their client was "for some unknown reason" set free from prison.
They said that as soon as they found out about what happened, they immediately informed the police inspector in charge.
Mercieca raised the issue with the magistrate as soon as it was possible to do so, he said.
Both the police inspector and the lawyer for the victim did not object to bail being given to the man. However, the magistrate on Tuesday denied the man bail for a fifth time.
Azzopardi said the situation reflected the "crisis" within the justice and home affairs sectors.
He called for the minister to shoulder responsibility and said that the investigation should be held within the parameters of the Inquiries Act.