A former prison warder, Anthony Mifsud, has filed a constitutional application seeking compensation over undue delays in two court cases which stemmed from his three-year arrest following the escape of two prisoners from Corradino.

Mr Mifsud had been arrested on June 11, 1982 after the escape of Louis Bartolo and Ahmed Khalil Habib, both of whom were facing murder charges at the time. He had been kept under arrest at the police headquarters up to June 15, when he was taken in court and accused of being an accomplice in the prison escapes.

He was refused bail and remained under arrest until June 19, 1985 when the court declared him not guilty. The court had also found that his rights to a fair hearing within a reasonable time had been violated. His right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty had also been violated.

A court in 2008 had ordered compensation of €186,349 after finding that Mr Mifsud had been tortured during police interrogation. In his application today Mr Mifsud said this compensation had not yet been paid.

Mr Mifsud in today's application said that a criminal case he had instituted in May 1987 against Supt Carmelo Bonello, Supt Joseph Psaila, and the Commissioner of Police for subjecting him to inhuman treatment had dragged on from 1987 to 2008.

He said that the delays in the conclusion of the two court cases were unjustified and had caused him damages, for which he was seeking compensation.

See also: Ex-prison guard wins over €180,000

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20081031/local/ex-prison-guard-wins-over-euro-180-000