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Excessive pesticide levels land 15 farmers in court

May 7, 2018, 12:28 am
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Pesticide residues in greens sold in Malta are tested at random. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Fifteen farmers are currently facing court action after they were caught selling fruit and vegetables containing excessive levels of pesticide, authorities told the Times of Malta. Pesticide residues in greens sold in Malta are tested at random by the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority at a number of different sites every year. Last year the issue of excessive pesticide use, that could potentially be dangerous to consumers, was flagged by Times of Malta in a series of reports that revealed the extent of the problem. As much as 20 per cent of the products tested last year were found to contain too much chemical residue. The information came out after a series of e-mail exchanges between Times of Malta and the authorities, which at first said only 13 per cent of the fruit and vegetables were over the limit, rather than 20 per cent.  Asked for an update on the situation in 2018, the MCCAA provided Times of Malta with a table that showed around six per cent of the greens had failed pesticide tests. The latest data was in the same format as the incorrect information provided in 2017.  The MCCAA said legal action had been launched against the farmers involved, and at...
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Objectors see red over Munxar greenhouses plan

May 7, 2018, 10:09 am
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There are plans to build large ‘solar greenhouses’ in an untouched stretch of land close to St Thomas Bay in Marsascala.

Around 200 objections have been submitted to the Planning Authority over plans to build large ‘solar greenhouses’ in an untouched stretch of land close to St Thomas Bay in Marsascala. The site on the Munxar promontory is part of a scheduled as an Area of High Landscape Value due to its significant natural and cultural landscape and close to the Grade 1 scheduled Rihama Battery. The proposal, which is still being assessed by the PA, seeks the building of several large greenhouses covering some 4,000 square metres and topped with photovoltaic panels, as well as a reservoir, pump room and agricultural store. It will also sanction an illegally-built gate which has been the subject of an enforcement notice since 2011. The Superintendence for Cultural Heritage (SCH) has expressed its “apprehension” over the development, warning that the greenhouses “will be very visible and impact the existing context”. Highlighting the area’s protected status and the recorded megalithic remains in the surrounding Xrobb l-Għaġin area, the SCH said “the planning, management and protection of Maltese landscapes is to be guided by the principles enshrined in the European Landscape Convention”. The...
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Watch: Prime minister ‘looks like an accomplice’ in 17 Black story- David Casa

May 7, 2018, 7:10 am
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The prime minister’s effort to cover for Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi and Chief of Staff Keith Schembri “makes him look like an accomplice” in the 17 Black story, Nationalist MEP David Casa said on Monday. He was speaking alongside former Opposition leader Simon Busuttil and Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi after testifying before a magistrate in an inquiry in the wake of revelations regarding 17 Black - a Dubai-registered company. Times of Malta as part of the Daphne Project, had revealed how 17 Black received two separate payments totalling $1.6 million between July and November 2015. Ann email sent from Nexia BT's Karl Cini to Mossack Fonseca just one month later, in December, listed 17 Black as a "target client" of Mr Schembri and Dr Mizzi's secret Panama companies. The report led Dr Busuttil and Mr Casa to call for a magisterial inquiry. Magistrate Francesco Depasquale has to determine whether there are sufficient grounds to launch a criminal investigation into the matter. Dr Busuttil said he had presented documents, including those revealed by the Times of Malta to the magistrate, but said he could not delve into what was specifically presented. Mr Casa said evidence...
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Government officials face questions on db Group contract for St George's Bay site

May 7, 2018, 8:13 am
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Projects Malta Chairman James Camenzuli could not confirm under oath in court on Monday whether the contract transferring the former ITS site in St George's Bay to the db Group, actually reflected the bid accepted by the evaluation committee. Mr Camenzuli  was speaking from the witness stand in libel proceedings which the group, headed by Silvio Debono, had instituted against Daphne Caruana Galizia. The group plans to build apartments, a hotel and a retail centre on the site.  Mr Camenzuli explained how he has occupied the position of Projects Malta Chairman since July 2017 and had also served as chairman on the Evaluation Committee tasked with assessing bids in relation to the development of the site in St George's Bay. After exhibiting a summary on the sequence of events which culminated in the signing of the highly-controversial deal, Mr Camenzuli was asked whether any valuation of the property in question had preceded the choice of the preferred bidder. Pressed by Dr Joseph Zammit Maempel, counsel to the Caruana Galizia family, the chairman could not supply an answer, pointing out that the db Group had been chosen as the preferred bidder since they met the requirements laid...
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Building walls won't stop Malta from changing, Muscat tells Delia

May 6, 2018, 2:59 am
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Joseph Muscat has again criticised the Opposition leader for his scaremongering about foreign workers, insisting that challenges are not overcome by “building walls and closing doors”.On Tuesday, Nationalist Party leader Adrian Delia warned of “socio-cultural ruin” if the influx of foreign workers was not carefully managed as part of a long-term economic plan. Addressing party supporters in Dingli on Sunday morning, the Prime Minister said that both foreigners and the Maltese changed Malta.“Our country has been changing, is changing, and will continue to change. We are not scared of change, we don’t instil fear through change and spread the belief that if we remove foreigners from Malta there will be no change and we will live happily ever after. “We recognise the challenge, but we will not overcome it by building walls and closing doors. We will overcome it by building bridges and issue regulations.”That is why the government was planning on introducing peace of mind within the rental market, where the challenge remained unpredictability, he said. “The economy is growing and people are willing to buy and rent, while foreigners want to come here to live and work. “In the past,...
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Townsquare excavation works on hold

May 7, 2018, 10:56 pm
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Works were at a standstill at the Townsquare project yesterday. Photo: Jonathan Borg

Excavation works on the Townsquare high-rise in Sliema, which began last year, have been suspended following the revocation of the development permit by an appeals tribunal, the project developers have confirmed. The 38-storey tower was approved by the Planning Authority in 2016 and excavation began late last year, to the anger of residents and organisations appealing the decision, which included Din L-Art Ħelwa, Flimkien Għal Ambjent Aħjar and the Sliema local council. The appeals were upheld last week by the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal (EPRT), which revoked the permit, citing the inadequacy of studies carried out for the project, and sent the case back to the drawing board ahead of a fresh assessment by the PA. A Townsquare spokesman told the Times of Malta on Monday that all excavation had ceased except for limited works to secure third party properties for safety purposes. The developers have said they remain “fully committed” to the project and that they will be meeting PA officials in the coming days to discuss the way forward for the development, which they insist adhered to policy and met all requirements set out by the PA. Flimkien Għal Ambjent Aħjar lawyer...
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BVI probed Schembri’s $725,000 offshore company Colson

May 7, 2018, 9:57 pm
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Updated at 8.45am: adds Keith Schembri's statement Anti-money-laundering investigators in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) have probed Keith Schembri’s offshore company Colson, which in 2014 held cash balances of $725,000, new documents show. In a letter to Panama law firm Mossack Fonseca, the BVI’s Financial Investigation Unit (FIA) asked for information about Colson as part of its functions “in relation to the investigation of a financial offence, including money laundering”. Read: Fact-checking Keith Schembri’s ‘no money-laundering evidence’ claims The Prime Minister’s chief of staff is facing a number of money-laundering investigations locally, but the Prime Minister has dismissed calls for his resignation. The BVI FIA asked for information on Mr Schembri’s company in April 2016, according to new information obtained by German paper Süddeutsche Zeitung.  Mr Schembri’s shareholding in the BVI company was hidden from public view through the use of nominees. The UK this month announced a plan to crack down on the use of anonymous companies in its overseas territories.  Mr Schembri’s ownership of Colson was only made known thanks to the April 2016 Panama Papers data...
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Partygoer denied bail following drug find at weekend festival

May 7, 2018, 2:40 am
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A British partygoer has landed behind bars after being caught with cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis at a weekend festival. Lincoln Anthony Millwood, 36, an engineer, was arrested after being found with the drugs in quantities which appeared to indicate they were not for his personal use at the Lost and Found party on Saturday. He was arraigned on Sunday and after pleading not guilty to charges of aggravated possession, filed a request for bail, with his defence counsel Alfred Abela arguing that although his client was a foreigner who did not reside in Malta, he was a British national who could easily be tracked down. The fear of absconding was minimal and, in any case, there were mechanisms which allowed Maltese authorities to seek the man’s re-arrest, Dr Abela continued. However, the court, presided over by Magistrate Gabriella Vella, turned down the request at this stage, saying that the arrested man could not provide the necessary guarantees for bail to be granted. Inspector Maurice Curmi prosecuted.
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Air Malta workers never objected to me interviewing them, says Konrad Mizzi's father

May 8, 2018, 6:25 am
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Konrad Mizzi with his father, Lawrence, during a political event.

Tourism Ministry claims that Konrad Mizzi's father was only interviewing Air Malta employees to inform and facilitate their transfer to government entities have been contradicted by airline workers involved in the process.  Lawrence Mizzi, who serves as chairman of Resources Support and Services Ltd., is currently interviewing Air Malta employees who wish to take up government employment as part of an agreement between unions and the airline. After Times of Malta revealed Mr Mizzi's involvement in a story last week, Mr Mizzi and the Tourism Ministry claimed that his role as RSSL chairman was only to inform and facilitate the transfer of employees to government entities. However, a number of employees who yesterday contacted Times of Malta contradicted this version and provided a copy of an agreement given to them by Mr [Lawrence] Mizzi asking them to accept employment directly with RSSL. “It is not true that Mr Mizzi was interviewing us to facilitate our deployment. He was interviewing us to see whether his government entity – RSSL – was going to take us on its payroll,” they insisted. The document, titled ‘Declaration’, which the interviewees were asked to sign, explicitly...
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Watch: The new face of terrorism hitting European countries

May 8, 2018, 1:37 am
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Crime historian Eddie Attard. Photo: Jonathan Borg

Despite terrorism having been around for centuries, terrorism trends in Europe have changed completely over the past two decades, with attacks no longer having a clear purpose, according to crime historian Eddie Attard. “Internal terrorism seems to have stopped, with most of the recent attacks being triggered from outside of Europe, allegedly caused by religious differences. “Interestingly, France and the UK seem to be of particular interest to these terrorists. Why have Italy and Eastern European countries not been targeted? Is it an issue of security or are the latter not considered a threat?” the former police officer asked. Speaking to the Times of Malta following research ahead of the publication of his new book, It-Terroriżmu fl-Ewropa (Terrorism in Europe), Mr Attard noted that in the past, whether triggered by religious groups or related to territory or power, there was always an understood aim of terrorism. There no longer seems to be clear scope for such attacks. The UN has yet to come up with a definition of terrorism. It is believed this decision has been put off, as it could incense those of religious faith. Still, the use of violence for political reasons, to...
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Scuba diver dies at Ċirkewwa

May 8, 2018, 4:28 am
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A scuba diver has died after encountering difficulties while diving in Ċirkewwa, police said in a statement on Tuesday afternoon. The man, who was later identified as a 50-year-old Briton, was underwater with a diving buddy as part of a scuba diving group when he found himself in trouble.  He was taken to shore and given emergency first aid before being rushed to Mater Dei Hospital, but passed away at the hospital.  Police said they are investigating further. 
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Watch: Gozo Channel service temporarily suspended for security checks

May 8, 2018, 3:07 am
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Updated 3.27pm  The Gozo Channel ferry service was temporarily suspended for a few hours on Tuesday after an anonymous bomb threat. The two ferries currently in service were searched after the threat was received by phone at 11am.  Searches were also made on vehicles on the ferries and the marshalling areas. Nothing suspicious was found.  Service resumed early in the afternoon. In a statement, the Gozo Ministry apologised to passengers for the inconvenience.  
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Oil procurement scandal: Committee's questioning, Speaker's ruling violated rights of the accused, court finds

May 8, 2018, 5:29 am
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A former Enemalta chairman accused of involvement in the oil procurement scandal had his rights breached when he was ordered to testify before a parliamentary committee while criminal proceedings against him were under way, the Constitutional Court has ruled. Tancred Tabone was called to testify before the Public Accounts Committee in December 2013 when the committee was discussing the Auditor General’s report on Enemalta’s fuel procurement methods. Ten months previously, Mr Tabone had been arraigned in court and accused of corruption, fraud and money laundering in connection with Enemalta oil procurement. Those criminal proceedings were still ongoing. Mr Tabone had been presented with a copy of the Guide for Witnesses before the PAC, published in 2011, which listed the consequences faced by any person who refusing to testify before the committee without a legally valid excuse. After invoking his right to silence before the PAC, the Speaker of the House, Anglu Farrugia, had ruled that when a witness raised an objection to any particular question put to him, on the ground of self-incrimination, the final decision to allow the question or otherwise was to be taken by the...
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Government officials face questions on db Group contract for St George's Bay site

May 7, 2018, 8:13 am
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Projects Malta Chairman James Camenzuli could not confirm under oath in court on Monday whether the contract transferring the former ITS site in St George's Bay to the db Group, actually reflected the bid accepted by the evaluation committee. Mr Camenzuli  was speaking from the witness stand in libel proceedings which the group, headed by Silvio Debono, had instituted against Daphne Caruana Galizia. The group plans to build apartments, a hotel and a retail centre on the site.  Mr Camenzuli explained how he has occupied the position of Projects Malta Chairman since July 2017 and had also served as chairman on the Evaluation Committee tasked with assessing bids in relation to the development of the site in St George's Bay. After exhibiting a summary on the sequence of events which culminated in the signing of the highly-controversial deal, Mr Camenzuli was asked whether any valuation of the property in question had preceded the choice of the preferred bidder. Pressed by Dr Joseph Zammit Maempel, counsel to the Caruana Galizia family, the chairman could not supply an answer, pointing out that the db Group had been chosen as the preferred bidder since they met the requirements laid...
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'Spectacular' Pageant of the Seas planned for Grand Harbour on June 7

May 7, 2018, 5:36 am
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This year's Valletta Pageant of the Seas promises to be a unique spectacle in the Grand Harbour with 1000 artists taking part in the event, the Valletta 2018 Foundation said on Monday. Valletta 2018 chairman Jason Micallef said the Pageant promises to be a “flagship” event of V18. The event would be split into daytime and nighttime events. The daytime events will include a  regatta, and other races . The pageant will also see Għawma Toni Bajada, a major swimming activity involving hundreds of people. It is named after a Maltese hero of the Great Siege of 1565. At night, Grand Harbour will be transformed into a stage with a show based on Malta’s neolithic history on “one of the largest barges” that ever entered the harbour. “The harbour will become an extension of a theatre and a stage,” Mr Micallef added The event will take place on June 7, a public holiday, and will include a show by La Fura Dels Baus. The Spanish team took part in the opening of Valletta 2018 in January with a performance at the Tritons Fountain Square. This will be an exceptional show and it should be a natural addition to people’s calendar of events, Mr Micallef said. Mr Micallef thanked numerous...
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Actor Twanny Scalpello passes away

May 8, 2018, 4:06 am
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Actor Twanny Scalpello, well known for his storytelling on radio, died at Mater Dei Hospital on Monday, aged 94. In the 1950s and 1960s, Mr Scalpello took part in several radio plays and he was chosen to interpret the role of the priest in Malta Story. The role led J. Arthur Rank, Great Britain's chief distributor and one of the world's major film producers at the time, to offer him a seven-year contract. He worked with some of the best known actors and directors in the local theatre scene, such as Watty Cachia, Nosi Ghirlando and Inez Soler. Mr Scalpello also took part in various plays and his television repertoire includes an interpretation of Pilate, reputed to be his finest performance.
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Gas more expensive than interconnector – Electrogas advisers

May 8, 2018, 9:50 pm
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Gas is proving to be an expensive option for Enemalta. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

A leaked 2017 report drawn up for Electrogas raised concerns that Enemalta might seek to renegotiate contract terms once it noticed the “extra costs” of buying gas at the five-year fixed price. “The concern is that Enemalta would have direct evidence of the extra costs incurred by buying LNG at a high price in today’s market,” Poten – Electrogas’s energy consultants – wrote in the report. Since the price was fixed in April 2015, gas prices have crashed. It emerged last month, in a Daphne Project expert analysis of the leaked contracts with Electrogas, that Malta paid close to double the market price in 2017. And, according to calculations made by The Guardian, the situation resulted in an estimated profit of $40 million to Azerbaijan’s State-owned company Socar, which sells LNG supplies to Electrogas. Socar disputes the $40 million figure. In addition to having to buy gas at the fixed price of €9.4 per unit, the contracts, steered through by former energy minister Konrad Mizzi, also bound Enemalta to buying a minimum of €131.6 million worth of gas per year. The contract terms, which were kept hidden from the public, state that if Enemalta fails to consume this amount of gas, it...
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Accused in Caruana Galizia murder files application to halt trial over HSBC heist

May 8, 2018, 2:38 am
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One of the men accused of the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia has filed an urgent application seeking to block the start of his trial by jury over his alleged involvement in a bank heist eight years ago. Vincent Muscat is one of the three men currently facing a compilation of evidence over the car bomb attack which claimed the life of the journalist last October. His trial by jury for the HSBC 2010 bank robbery, is scheduled to kick off on June 18. It was lawyer Arthur Azzopardi, on behalf of Mr Muscat, known as il-Koħħu, who filed a “very urgent” request before the First Hall, Civil Court in its Constitutional jurisdiction just days ago, arguing that the negative pre-trial publicity regarding his client’s alleged involvement in the Caruana Galizia murder would prejudice potential jurors in the trial. On Tuesday, the case was heard in an urgent sitting before Madam Justice Jacqueline Padovani Grima who observed that the court understood the “considerable demands” on the legal timeframe in which this case was to be decided. For the purpose of allowing sufficient time for either party to appeal, the court declared that it would be wise to decide upon all pleas in one single...
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Audit Office finds claims against former parliamentary secretary were unfounded

May 7, 2018, 7:40 am
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A detailed investigation by the National Audit office has dismissed allegations made in January 2016 of wrongdoing by a former parliamentary secretary for lands Jason Azzopardi. The allegations were made anonymously regarding a property forming part of the Home Ownership Scheme in Santa Luċija and payment to the former owners of expropriated land.  It had been claimed that the parliamentary secretary used his influence to expedite the process for payment by the former Government Property Division (GPD) for land expropriated for the Home Ownership Scheme. It was further claimed that the former parliamentary secretary negotiated the purchase of a house, built on a portion of the acquired land under the conditions of the HOS. The Audit Office said that although the information provided in relation to specific events was mostly correct, it did not consider the historic, legal, and administrative context. All of these variables played a critical part in assessing whether the former parliamentary secretary had influenced processes related to the HOS for his own benefit. "To this effect, this investigation did not reveal evidence to support the claims and implications made," the...
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Man, 65, jailed 25 years for raping nieces

May 8, 2018, 11:48 pm
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A 65-year-old man was on Tuesday jailed for 25 years after he was found guilty of repeatedly raping his two young nieces. The man, whose name cannot be published by court order to protect the identity of his victims, raped his brother’s young daughters when they were three and five years old. The abuse spanned several years, and it was only when the five-year-old victim turned 18 recently that she exposed the abuse to the police. Police Inspector Joseph Busuttil, prosecuting, told the court how the man was often trusted to take care of the two young sisters by their unsuspecting parents. It was 10 years after the abuse stopped that the eldest girl found the courage to go to the police. The man, also found in possession of child pornography on his computer, was found guilty of defiling the two girls, as well as defiling their younger sister in more recent years. It is believed that this later abuse spurred the elder girl to protect her youngest sister from her predator uncle. Before Mr Justice Antonio Mizzi, the man pleaded guilty to all the charges brought against him: repeatedly raping the two girls in Ħamrun, Marsa, Santa Venera and several other localities around Malta,...
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