Updated 5pm with prison authorities' reply

Four prison inmates want to give statements to the police in an investigation into the management of the prisons, but authorities there are refusing them the chance to do so, according to journalist Peppi Azzopardi.

In a Facebook post on Sunday morning, Azzopardi said the inmates are willing to speak to the police about what they saw and went through in prison, but prison authorities won't let them testify.

"I have just sent the names of these inmates to the police commissioner, so he may be able to take the necessary action and give them the opportunity to testify," Azzopardi said.

The prison administration has denied the claims. 

Last Sunday, newspaper Illum said the police were investigating allegations by ex-prison warder Emmanuel Cassar that prison director Alex Dalli threatened inmates with a gun, among other things.

On Illum, Cassar claimed he saw Dalli shove a pistol in an inmate's mouth, threatening him with the words: "If you don't behave, I'll waste this on you."

Cassar claimed on another occasion, Dalli held a gun to another inmate's head.

Following the allegations, Dalli sued Cassar and the newspaper for libel, insisting the allegations were untrue.

In response to Azzopardi's claims, the Head of Administration and Operations at Corradino, Randolph Spiteri, said on Sunday that "allegations that prisoners are not being allowed to testify are completely false". He said the claims were referring to a completely unrelated incident.

"The incident being referred to is a brawl that broke out between prisoners in the male division," he said.

"The victim of the brawl filed a report with the police and an investigation into this case was launched."

He insisted that the prison authorities had always cooperated with the police and this case was no exception.

Peppi Azzopardi said he himself has helped former inmates speak to the police over the past days.

"One of them had spent three months in solitary confinement, and another was strapped to the punishment chair for eight hours," he said.

"And I am calling on other ex-inmates to also speak up. I commend the police, for they are doing their job in the most professional way," he said. 

Contacted for comment, the police simply said "all allegations of a criminal nature are investigated by the police."

Azzopardi claimed the prison leadership is attempting to buy inmates' silence.

Prisons director in a position to 'manipulate' inmates

"The prison director is under police investigation, yet he still runs the prison and holds the power to influence and manipulate inmates in an investigation about himself. This is a tragic farce," he argued.

Addressing himself to Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri, he asked whether it was fair that the director retained his position when he was under investigation for alleged criminal acts.

"Can't you see that inmates are terrified to speak up for the truth when they know he holds power over their lives? Why hasn't the director suspended himself until the investigation is over?"

Alex Dalli has been prison director for three years, and while he has been praised for weeding out drugs from Corradino, he has been constantly under fire for his unorthodox methods of discipline.

Journalists, academics and activists have been calling for his resignation mostly because so far, 12 inmates have died or committed suicide under his watch.