Less than a year after his appointment as CEO of the Correctional Services Agency, Robert Brincau faces circumstances that should ordinarily see him stepping down, being suspended or sacked. All the more so because Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri cannot afford a repetition of the Alex Dalli saga.
Brincau was arraigned over an incident involving members of two rival organisations – Red Cross, which he used to run, and Alpha Medical – both offering first aid at popular beaches. It seems the two have been at loggerheads since 2017.
One Sunday last August, things got out of hand. According to evidence in court there was an altercation during which Brincau first head-butted an ambulance driver of the rival organisation and then pointed a gun to his head. He was also allegedly recorded saying: “I’ll kill you and your family.”
Brincau denies the claims, and justice should, of course, be allowed to take its course to determine who is telling the truth.
Beyond the strict confines of legal justice though, the very serious nature of the charges have cast another dark shadow over the country’s correctional services. The fact that among the exhibits produced in court is a firearm listed among weapons registered at Corradino Correctional Facility means the prison institution is ‘involved’ in this affair.
No person should be allowed to be above any institution. The home affairs minister should lose no further time in trying to control the damage done to the image of the prisons, by doing what needs to be done.
He should have learnt his lesson from the way Brincau’s predecessor was handled despite facing a barrage of serious allegations.
Dalli, a former army colonel, came under fire for his unorthodox methods of discipline, which included a poster that told officials to “teach fear” and a restraining chair to which unruly inmates were strapped.
After a list of suicides and deaths within the prison walls under his watch, the government appointed an inquiry to look into internal procedures.
It found that the prison system then in place could potentially allow top officials to abuse their power and inflict unjust punishment on inmates.
It was only then that Dalli and the prison parted ways, the former serviceman being appointed government special representative in Libya, handling matters of national security.
Evidently, Camilleri still trusted Dalli who, it will be recalled, also faced allegations of being ‘keen’ on guns.
But back to the present. Camilleri should avoid a re-run of that humiliation.
When Brincau was appointed acting chief executive following Dalli’s self-suspension, the home affairs ministry said he had been implementing important changes within the detention services, particularly relating to welfare and security. Brincau has undoubtedly started bringing some positive changes, at least according to those who worked within the confines of prison.
Putting right all the wrongs allowed to fester under Dalli’s regime must be no mean feat.
However, there are certain qualities one readily expects from a person serving as a correctional officer, especially one so senior.
These include being able to exercise sound judgement, especially when under pressure, an ability to handle confrontation, maintain calm under stress and demonstrate excellent interpersonal, communication and listening skills.
The narrative that has emerged in court so far does not paint a good picture. Until the court determines what actually happened, the picture does not inspire confidence in the way the Correctional Services Agency is being managed.