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Blaze destroys car in Ta' Qali

May 8, 2018, 10:38 am
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A car was extensively damaged when it caught fire in a field at Ta' Qali on Tuesday evening. No one was injured. An eyewitness said the car had been parked there for three days. The blaze spread to dry grass around the vehicle. Firefighters of the Civil Protection Department were on the scene. 
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Marsascala council pushes for Magħluq to be cleaned up

May 8, 2018, 12:06 am
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Marsascala’s local council is calling on the government to start its promised conservation of Magħluq, a neglected Natura 2000 site. Photos: Chris Sant Fournier

The Marsascala local council is calling on the government to commence its promised conservation plan for Magħluq, a neglected Natura 2000 site. The council noted that it had received various complaints about the site, which falls under the responsibility of the Environment and Resources Authority. Residents and restaurant owners have raised concerns about rats roaming around and the general state of neglect, it said. The accumulation of sludge and sand in the marshland is blocking access for the circulation of water, the council said, adding that over the years there have been several studies of the area. a plan of action which never got started, while the council only learnt about cleaning that should have taken place at the end of last summer through the media. “We are on the eve of another summer, and no action has yet been taken,” it said. The council’s call joins repeated appeals in recent years to save the ecologically important site, home to the endangered Maltese killifish. Most recently, in the summer of last year, residents raised the alarm again when they spotted dead fish dumped in the area. A spokesman at the Environment Ministry last summer told the Times of...
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Christabelle has a message about mental health taboos at Eurovision event

May 8, 2018, 9:09 am
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Malta's Eurovision participant Christabelle pressed her message about getting rid of mental health care taboos during events in the run-up to the song contest in Lisbon on Tuesday. Christabelle will be singing Taboo at the song contest, a song which highlights mental health care issues.  The Ministry of Health in Portugal teamed up with the Lisbon Institute of Global Mental Health and Christabelle to send a message of hope about mental health. The singer took several questions about mental health care, a subject she is well versed in. At one time a member of the audience broke down in tears and the singer left her place to give the young woman a hug. The singer gave a rendition of her song and spoke of the need to break down the taboos surrounding mental health.The event heard video messages from Health Minister Chris Fearne and President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca.  Christabelle was praised for telling her own mental health story, demonstrating that she wasn’t afraid to be judged.Christabelle will perform in the second semi-final of the song contest on Thursday and, if she qualifies, in the final on Saturday. The first semi-final will be held on Tuesday evening. 
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Refuse truck in fire scare

May 7, 2018, 8:59 am
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A refuse truck caused a scare in Naxxar on Monday afternoon when it appeared to catch fire as it was carried on a low loader. The smoke stemmed from a technical fault which was quickly tackled and no fire developed. Pictures: Diane Vella - mynews@timesofmalta.com   Facebook: Times of Malta  
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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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Police make 99 drug arrests in five days

May 7, 2018, 8:45 am
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The police arrested 99 persons in the past five days after finding them in possession of drugs. Their age varies from 18 to 45. They were found in possession of ecstasy, cannabis and cannabis resin. The arrests followed searches at various places of entertainment by the Drugs Squad.  Investigations are continuing and most of the arrested persons are due to be arraigned to face charges of possession or trafficking. 
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Magistrate lambasts entrepreneur who emailed her about pending case

May 9, 2018, 5:01 am
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A magistrate on Wednesday morning lambasted US entrepreneur Julie Meyer for having sent her e-mails about pending cases after having failed to appear for sittings. Meyer is being sued by a company in Malta for unpaid bills and is also being pursued by employees – both in Malta and in the UK – for unpaid wages. Her UK company Ariadne Capital was put into the hands of administrators last December. In a sitting of the Industrial and Employment Relations Department, Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech said that Ms Meyer and her legal counsel in the UK had sent her e-mails about the case. The magistrate pointed out that according to her oath of office and according to law, the said communication was to be read out in open court and thereafter communicated to the President of the Republic. READ: Meyer received €17,500 in sponsorships, PQ reveals The Magistrate lambasted this behaviour as “unethical and also illegal”, and pointed out that although Ms Meyer had tried to blame her non-appearance in court on her Maltese lawyer, there was no evidence in the emails to support her claim. “There was absolutely no negative light to be shed upon the work of her lawyer,” the magistrate recorded...
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Ryanair flights cancelled following strikes in Italy

May 9, 2018, 2:40 am
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At least three Ryanair flights were cancelled on Tuesday after Italian air traffic control and ground handling staff went on strike.  Passengers who were scheduled to leave Malta at 6.40am to go to Turin said the flight was initially marked as delayed to noon, only for it to be subsequently cancelled. Passengers intending to catch the plane's return leg from Turin to Malta were checked in normally at 7am, but were left waiting till noon at the boarding gate. They complained that after the flight was cancelled, there was no one from Ryanair to assist passengers rebook their flight. Air traffic in Italy was disrupted on Tuesday by an Italian air traffic control and ground handling strike. When contacted, a Ryanair spokesperson said this had forced it to cancel "a number" of flights, without specifying how many.  The spokesperson said that all passengers had been contacted by email and SMS and advised of their options: a full refund, rebooking on the next available flight or transferring to an alternative flight. They apologised for the inconvenience caused by these “unjustified ATC disruptions” which, it said, were entirely outside its control and encouraged customers to sign...
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Dance party reveller ends up behind the wrong sort of bars

May 8, 2018, 8:16 am
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A man who travelled to Malta for last weekend’s Lost and Found dance party, ended up behind bars after denying in court that the 20 cannabis sachets found in his possession had been intended for trafficking. British national Ryan Agdomar, 36, a football coach, was arrested last Saturday at St Paul’s Bay after police suspicion led to the discovery of the sachets, containing some 65 grams of cannabis resin. The drug was found on his person and also in his hotel room. During his arraignment, Mr Agdomar pleaded not guilty to possession of the drug in circumstances which appeared to indicate that it was not for his personal use. Some €2,000 and £735 found in his possession were said to have been intended to help a friend who was facing health problems. A request for bail was turned down by Magistrate Marse Anne Farrugia who observed that the man was a visitor who had no fixed ties in Malta. Lawyer Alfred Abela was defence counsel.
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‘No interference’ when Henley sues journalists, OPM says

May 9, 2018, 4:55 am
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Henley & Partners chairman Christian Kalin

A spokesman at Castille has insisted the government does not get involved in matters of a "private nature", despite cash-for-passport scheme concessionaire Henley & Partners telling MEPs it only sued journalists after getting an informal thumbs up to do so from authorities.  Speaking during a video call with MEPs probing the rule of law in Malta, Henley & Partners chairman Christian Kalin, chief operating officer Juerg Steffen and managing partner Stuart MacFeeters explained that they would not proceed with legal action unless they had received “at least an informal OK from the key decision makers”. The three MEPs participating in the call – Ana Gomes, Sven Giegold and David Casa – referred to an e-mail between Henley & Partners, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and his chief of staff, Keith Schembri, discussing a lawsuit by the firm against slain journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. They pointed to “the informality and closeness of the writing between the CEO of Henley & Partners and the Prime Minister”, noting that this was “striking”. READ: PM takes on Henley advice to sell more Maltese passports “The point of the e-mail was to ask the government if they would be OK with a legal...
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Watch: What lies beneath the St John's Co-Cathedral floor

May 9, 2018, 6:35 am
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The long-held belief that many knights lie buried beneath the floor of St John's Co-Cathedral is mostly folklore, a researcher has discovered.  A two-year study by researcher Sebastian d'Amico of what sits beneath the Co-Cathedral's floors and tombstones identified three burial sites within the church. Starting in July 2015, Dr d'Amico and his research team scanned the entire Co-Cathedral using a ground-penetrating radar system.  The team took more than 11,000 photos to enable a three-dimensional reconstruction of the Co-Cathedral area, with computers crunching data for almost 500 hours for 3D processing.  Through this method, researchers were able to create digital model of burial sites within the church, discovering that tombstones at the Co-Cathedral are not laid out in a corresponding continuation.  In the 1840s the tombstones were rearranged to form a more symmetrical pattern, Dr d’Amico explained. “Moreover, the tombs in general do not have the same size or the same depth,” Dr d'Amico said, adding that the positions of the tombs coincide with those of the upper-lying inscriptions. University researchers to get improved access to Co-Cathedral The Co-Cathedral will now be...
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Young motorcyclist grievously hurt in Mosta crash

May 8, 2018, 4:20 am
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A 22-year-old youth from Tarxien was grievously injured on Tuesday morning when he was involved in a traffic collision in Mosta.  The young man was riding a Mash Seventy Five motorcycle along Triq Franġisku Pisani when he was involved in a crash with a Toyota Funcargo car driven by a 62-year-old man from St Paul's Bay.  Police were informed of the crash at around 8.15am, they said in a statement.  An ambulance took the crash victim to Mater Dei Hospital, where doctors certified him as being grievously injured.  Police say they are investigating further. 
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Muscat still unable to say how many MPs work for the government

May 9, 2018, 8:50 am
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Prime Minister Joseph Muscat is still not in a position to provide details to Parliament on the number of MPs from both sides of the House directly or indirectly employed by the government. In parliamentary questions more than two months ago by Democratic Party MP Godfrey Farrugia, Dr Muscat was asked to say which MPs are employed directly with the government through government departments, ministerial private secretariats or government agencies. Dr Farrugia also asked when and how these MPs were recruited, what was their remuneration and conditions of work and what role they occupied with the government. He further asked which sitting MPs provided consultancy services to the government or any of its entities. Despite the questions being presented twice in two months, the Prime Minister has told Parliament that he is still not in a position to reply, as the information was still being compiled. The issue of Members of Parliament given direct employment with the government was raised recently when Times of Malta reported that the position of Labour MP Glenn Bedingfield as a person of trust of the Prime Minister’s private secretariat might be in breach of the Constitution. Article...
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What lies behind the flaking walls of Strait Street?

May 10, 2018, 2:44 am
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The spirited trio of actors who animate Secret Sound Stories. From left: Bernard Satariano, Angele Galea and Diandra Anne Mamo. Photos: Altofest Malta/V XZ zweetz

Picture this: as you walk along Strait Street in Valletta you’re mentally transported to the good old days, taking in the bar signs that flash before your eyes – Loop Bar, Tico Tico, Larry’s Bar, White Star, Silver Horse, New York. But what about the stories that lie hidden behind the ageing and flaking walls of the bars, music halls and lodging houses as you meander along one of the narrowest streets in the capital city? What romantic encounters took place in this alley, whose bad reputation had galloped miles before you even visited ? Which promises were kept and which betrayed? Which prayers remained unanswered? Still harking after its Italian parentage, as the old name Strada Stretta implies, the street has a long and colourful history. Several sheets of that history will unfold during Secret Sound Stories – in English and Maltese – in Strait Street tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday. Using headphones, the audience will listen to memories narrated by seasoned actors Angele Galea, Bernard Satariano and Diandra Anne Mamo, who will be hidden in the surrounding, eerie buildings. In this innovative manner you’ll immerse yourself in the bright lights, the private lives and live music...
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Lapsi Road gets badly-needed resurfacing

May 9, 2018, 12:34 pm
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Works are at an advanced stage on the badly-needed resurfacing of the road which from Siġġiewi leads down to Lapsi. Transport Minister Ian Borg said €15 million will be spent in the coming months on an upgrade of roads in rural areas such as this.
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Watch: MEP's Article 7 warnings 'misinformed and biased', minister says

May 9, 2018, 11:01 am
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Warnings that Malta could have its EU voting rights suspended come from misinformation supplied to MEPs, European Affairs Minister Helena Dalli said yesterday. Asked by the Times of Malta whether she was concerned that Article 7 – a procedure whereby the EU suspends certain rights for a Member State regarded as not respecting the Union’s rules – could be triggered against Malta, Dr Dalli said that MEPs see things one way, while the government may have a different view of the situation. On Saturday, Times of Malta reported that Romanian MEP Monica Macovei, who was part of the delegation that came to Malta to investigate the state of the local rule of law, warned that Malta was moving closer to having Article 7 triggered against it. “I’ve spoken to that particular MEP, and the questions she put to me showed that she is not informed about what she was saying and she made comments that were also biased,” the minister said, adding that she had got the impression the MEP was not aware of how things really were. Asked whether she had attempted to clarify the claims she deemed to be inaccurate, Dr Dalli insisted that Ms Macovei did not seem willing to hear what she had to say. “She...
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PL hits out at Busuttil's IVF comments

May 9, 2018, 7:27 am
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The Labour Party has hit out at comments by Simon Busuttil during the IVF Bill debate in parliament on Tuesday, saying they were unacceptable. It said that Dr Busuttil had adopted the attitude that couples who had a problem which prevented them from having children had to accept it. Dr Busuttil was speaking in the context of LGBT couples when he made the remark.  The Labour Party said this was not acceptable reasoning, since science offered solutions which had already been adopted by other countries.  The parliamentary debate brought out the contrast between the government and the opposition, the PL said. While the Labour MPs underlined the need to understand infertile people, Nationalist MPs had been insensitive. 
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Diver in critical condition

May 9, 2018, 9:32 am
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A diver is in critical condition after finding himself in difficulties while swimming off Gozo. The police said the Frenchman, 53, had been swimming at Xatt l-Aħmar, a popular dive site, on Wednesday afternoon. He was pulled to shore and given first aid by his colleagues until an ambulance arrived and he was taken to hospital. Magistrate Paul Coppini is holding an inquiry.  A 50-year-old Briton died after finding himself in difficulties while swimming at  Ċirkewwa on Tuesday.
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Christabelle seeks to ‘break taboo’ in Lisbon semi-final

May 10, 2018, 1:45 am
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Malta’s Eurovision hopefuls will be seeking to overcome the odds on Thursday evening, taking to the stage for the semi-final in Lisbon as outsiders for a spot in Saturday’s Grand Final. Christabelle, who will represent Malta with her song Taboo after winning the Malta Song for Europe last February, is ranked 13th across 15 major betting companies, outside the top-10 finish needed to qualify. Fellow Maltese singer Jessika will appear for San Marino but faces an even steeper uphill battle, with bookmakers considering Who We Are – which beat 250 entries from 60 countries in the national selection – least likely of all 18 songs to make it to the final. Barring a surprise result, the odds suggest a continuation of Malta’s poor Eurovision fortunes of recent years: Ira Losco, who represented the country in Stockholm in 2016, could only manage 12th overall despite high expectations, while Claudia Faniello failed even to make it to the final last year in Kiev. The best Eurovision finish since Chiara’s second place in 2005 came from Gianluca Bezzina – eighth overall in 2013. Some hope for the two Maltese singers comes from the fact that the bookies’ predictions have so far this year been...
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Watch: Pilatus Bank administrator silent on bank closure

May 9, 2018, 11:08 pm
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MFSA-appointed US financial regulator Lawrence Connell. Photo: Jonathan Borg

The former US financial regulator appointed by the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) to take charge of all Pilatus Bank assets, has declined to comment on reports that the controversial bank is winding up. The MFSA tasked the regulator, Lawrence Connell, with assuming control of Pilatus’s banking and investment business in March after chairman Ali Sadr Hasheminejad was arrested on charges of money laundering and violating US sanctions. Last month, Mr Hasheminejad’s lawyers told the Times of Malta that the bank was “in the process of winding up”, news that emerged from bail submissions of the former Pilatus chairman. Approached by the Times of Malta on Wednesday, Mr Connell said he had “no comment” to make about the defence lawyers’ claims as well as how long it would take to close the bank. He also declined to answer questions on the amount of deposits that are still held at the Ta’ Xbiex-based bank. Pilatus Bank has repeatedly been in the headlines in recent years, with its operations linked to allegations of money-laundering. Read: Idiot’s guide to the Pilatus Bank scandal - Kristina Chetcuti The Daphne Project, a consortium of 18 media houses including the Times of...
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