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Valletta Embassy complex to include hotel

January 8, 2014, 10:30 pm
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Part of the Embassy shopping and cinema complex is to be converted into a boutique hotel after the project received the green light from the Malta Environment and Planning Authority. Some of the hotel rooms and a breakfast area will be located on the second floor , replacing shops, while the rest of the rooms will be placed on floors five and six, which currently house the cinema. Three cinema halls will be retained. The height of the building will not be raised.  
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Lawyers to lose doctorate but may remain Drs

January 8, 2014, 7:26 am
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Newly graduated lawyers may retain the title of Dr although they will lose their doctorate, Parliamentary Secretary Owen Bonnici said today. This follows a restructuring of the law course through which students graduated Bachelor of Laws after four years and attain a Master’s degree if they continued their studies for another year. Speaking during a debate organised by the European Law Students’ Association, Dr Bonnici said this was the case with dentistry students and the Attorney General was looking into the matter. But Chamber of Advocates president Reuben Balzan said titles were not important since what qualified one as a lawyer was his warrant. The title, he said, did not automatically bring respect which was brought about by the way lawyers conducted themselves.
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Suspended police inspector gets warrant to halt promotions

January 9, 2014, 1:41 am
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A police inspector who is currently suspended pending a criminal case for alleged serious injury has won a warrant impeding the police force from continuing a process to promote inspectors to the grade of superintendent. Police Inspector Jeffrey Cilia, 40, from Balzan, is currently suspended from work pending charges of seriously injuring one of three brothers in an assault in Paceville in December 2011. He is pleading not guilty to the charges brought against him. Mr Justice Joseph Zammit McKeon this morning upheld Mr Cilia's request to stop the internal promotion process, saying Mr Cilia had not been informed of the process and had the right to apply for this promotion. Mr Cilia told the court that on August 9, “a departmental circular for internal calls” was circulated among police inspectors for the post of superintendent but he had not been notified about it although he still formed part of the force. Of the 24 inspectors that applied for the post, he was the sixth most senior and it was up to the adjudication board to decide his eligibility for the post and not the Police Commissioner, he said. Lawyer Edward Gatt appeared for Mr Cilia.
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National Bank case: Court finds shareholders' human rights were breached

January 9, 2014, 3:45 am
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A court this morning decided in favour of National Bank shareholders who had sued the government for breaching their human rights in the take-over of the bank in 1973. Lawyer Max Ganado said the court presided by Judge JR Micallef had found that shareholders had their human rights breached when the Labour government led by former Prime Minister Dom Mintoff had forced shareholders to hand over their shares after the National Bank of Malta faced a run on deposits. The court will now consider compensation. Details of the court judgement are still emerging. The government had gone on to replace the National Bank with Bank of Valletta. In May, Parliamentary Secretary Owen Bonnici said the Government did not exclude holding talks with the former shareholders of the National Bank for an out-of-court settlement. Such a decision, however, hinged on finding a “just solution” for all parties involved.  Shareholders have consistently argued that the run had been engineered specifically to weaken the bank and provide the government with an excuse to nationalise it in the public interest. Labour leader Joseph Muscat had held a meeting with Jeremy Cassar Torregiani, the grandson of the...
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Updated - A familiar story in the UK - visas for sale, with possibility of citizenship

January 9, 2014, 1:39 am
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UK visas for overseas millionaires will be auctioned to the highest bidders or sold in exchange for donations to hospitals and universities under proposals by the British government’s official migration advisers. The Times of London reports today that wealthy foreigners would be required to make offers for a proportion of so-called investor visas, which would allow them and their families to live in Britain indefinitely. The newspaper says the ideas are to be put forward amid concern that the existing visa system is not working to the country’s economic advantage and has become a cheap way for many wealthy Russians and Chinese to stay in the UK. Under the new proposal, investments of £1 million, £5 million and £10 million can be made in gilts or governemnt bonds or in British businesses, in return for permission to apply for permanent residence for a number of years. Applicants can then seek UK citizenship. The gilts can later be sold, meaning that the arrangement is effectively a loan, MPs were told. Yet critics say that the proposed new system would be absurd for offering visas for sale without any long-term investment. People can apply for citizenship in the UK after they...
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Tony Debono claims oil trader George Farrugia committed perjury, breached pardon conditions

January 9, 2014, 2:28 am
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Former ambassador Tony Debono this morning filed a judicial protest in court claiming that George Farrugia, the trader at the centre of the oil procurement scandal, had committed perjury when he accused him of threatening to destroy him and his business. Mr Debono claimed that Mr Farrugia potentially breached the conditions of the presidential pardon he was granted to tell all the truth about the oil procurement scandal. Through his lawyer, Roberto Montalto, Mr Debono called on Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, Parliamentary Secretary for Justice Owen Bonnici and Police Commissioner Peter Paul Zammit to investigate Mr Farrugia and take all the action they deem necessary. He also requested that the Public Accounts Committee, which is looking into the matter, be notified of his judicial protest. Mr Debono was referring to the testimony given by Mr Farrugia on December 5 in the criminal case against former Enemalta chairman Tancred Tabone. Mr Tabone is pleading not guilty to fraud, bribery and money laundering in connection with the Enemalta oil procurement scandal, which surfaced following a story in newspaper MaltaToday. Mr Debono insisted that Mr Farrugia had lied under oath when he...
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MP's incident highlights need for nudist beaches - naturists

January 9, 2014, 1:05 am
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Labour MP Marlene Farrugia's incident at Gnejna in a spot used as an unofficial nudist area in summer highlighted the need to legalise naturist areas at certain spots on the island and provide better access to such, naturists said in a statement. Last week, Ms Farrugia had to be rescued from a rocky ledge in Ġnejna Bay where she had been stranded, surrounded by jellyfish for more than an hour. They also wrote to Ms Farrugia saying that due to a lack of personal freedom, naturists in Malta were forced to use spots such as the one where she faced difficulties. Many people, they said, hurt themselves accessing these places and there were also some serious accidents. “Non sexual naturism is perfectly fine in all of Europe and most of the world. We should not remain a backward thinking country and we urge the government to be truly liberal and not partial. “Giving rights to some groups while ignoring the freedom of choice of others is not the way to engage in full civil liberties,” they said. Ms Farrugia had been on a walk in the outer part of Gnejna with her son but opted to swim back because the risk of rain would have made the clay cliffs slippery. She found herself in a swarm of...
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Enemalta launches inquiry as power is restored to almost all areas

January 9, 2014, 4:55 am
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Updated  7.15  Several localities were without power for hours this afternoon after a fault which developed at Delimara knocked out electricity throughout Malta and Gozo. Power was lost at 1.47 p.m. and started being restored to some areas at 2.15 p.m. Power was gradually returned to other areas, including Valletta at 4 p.m.  Enemalta said power was restored to all of Malta and Gozo  with the exception of a few small areas in the north of Malta by 6.30 p.m. Readers in parts of Naxxar, Xemxija and St Paul's Bay said they were still without power at 7.30 p.m. Enemalta said the outage took place when a 132kV switchboard tripped during a switching operation ahead of scheduled maintenance works to a transformer at the Delimara Power Station. Engineers and technicians immediately worked to restart the generating units at both the Delimara and Marsa power stations. Supply to some areas, including strategic locations such as hospitals and major industrial zones, was restored within half an hour.  An internal inquiry is being held to identify and implement any measures required to avoid similar incidents in the future. Enemalta regretted the inconvenience caused by the incident and...
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Citizenship: Busuttil says he is still open to agreement, but government insists opposition missed the opportunity

January 9, 2014, 9:37 am
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Opposition leader Simon Busuttil told members of the Civil Society Committee this evening that he was still open to the possibility of reaching an agreement on the contentious citizenship scheme. The government, however, appeared to close the door, saying hours of talks had been held and it had already heeded the views of social partners and amended the scheme. In the second in a series of three meetings with social partners, Dr Busuttil said a consensus could only be reached if the opposition's objections were addressed. He insisted that the opposition would be contesting the legal notice regulating the scheme by submitting a motion in parliament. Dr Busuttil told the members of the committee, which forms part of the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development, that the PN would continue to oppose the sale of citizenship on principle and and he reiterated concerns that this had damaged the island's international reputation. Henley and Partners, he said, had retained their exclusivity over the scheme. He explained that the money generated by the sale would not be directly handed over to the government but would first pass through the company. "What if they run off with the...
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Three gaming companies to invest in Malta

January 9, 2014, 9:52 am
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Three gaming companies will either expand or start their business in Malta this month, the Secretariat for Competitiveness and Economic Growth said. Sportingbet will be transferring its regulatory regime from Alderney to Malta following the closure of its Channel Islands-based operations. Sportingbet has been present in Malta for the past few months and currently employs 29 workers. Streamlogue Operations Ltd will start full operation in the second half of January, operating live casino studio facilities in Ħandaq. It currently employs 53 workers and intends to expand and employ more.Evolution Gaming Malta Ltd, which currently employs 10 workers, will also be expanding and will employ a total of 130, rising further by the end of the year.The company is an expansion of the Live Casino in Riga, Latvia and is planning to have a Malta-based live casino platform.  The Parliamentary Secretary for Competitiveness and Economic Growth, Edward Zammit Lewis, expressed his gratitude to Joseph Cuschieri who recently took over as head of the Lotteries and Gaming Authority, for the developments.
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Chamber opposes sick leave proposal

January 10, 2014, 1:30 am
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The proposed concession for parents to take their sick leave to attend to their children when they were unwell served to institutionalise an injustice against employers, the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry said. In a statement this morning, the Chamber said it strongly opposed the proposed concession saying such work practices would serve to erode further Malta’s competitiveness and potential for growth. "The Chamber regards sick leave as a concession and not a right. It comes at a cost to the employer and it should not be exploited or trivialised. It is available for employees to avail of when they are genuinely unfit to attend for work. Ample annual leave is available and should be used in order to attend to family responsibilities. "Whilst employers endeavour to be flexible and compassionate with their staff, this measure will pose additional burdens not only for them but also for other employees. "The measure could bring about a perverse effect in that it may encourage workers to report to work when they are sick in an effort to save their sick-leave entitlement for when their children are unwell. Again, this would be unfair to the employer and fellow...
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Government grants oil exploration licence extension

January 9, 2014, 7:10 am
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Mediterranean Oil & Gas, a company which holds a licence to explore for oil in Maltese waters, said today that it has been granted a six month extension to the production sharing contract by the government. The agreement covers Area 4 Blocks 4, 5, 6 & 7 ("Area 4"). "This extension will enable the contractors to the Production Sharing Contract (PSC) to have sufficient time to complete the exploration drilling activities that are forecast to start in Q1 2014. With this extension, the expiry of the first exploration period to the PSC is now 17 July 2014." Bill Higgs, Chief Executive of Mediterranean Oil and Gas, commented: "We appreciate the continued support of the Maltese Government as we prepare to drill the Hagar Qim 1 exploration well with our partner Genel Energy." "The first half of 2014 will be an important time for the company with the drilling of two exploration wells; one offshore Malta Area 4 and one onshore Italy. This increased activity is an important step forward for the company." The company was granted another extension, of one year, last year. In February the Times of Malta reported how drilling of Ħaġar Qim 1 had been due to start in the last quarter of 2013. Dr...
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Probation for 17-year-old involved in stabbing incident

January 10, 2014, 4:01 am
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A 17-year-old girl who admitted to her involvement in the stabbing of her friend in Valletta in May 2011, has been placed on probation for three years. Magistrate Doreen Clarke took note of the girl's young age when the crime was committed and the fact that she had cooperated with the police and changed her ways since the incident. Three girls had been charged over the case - the 17-year-old and another teenager were charged with assaulting the victim and trying to seriously injure her. Both pleaded guilty and, last month, the other girl was also put on probation for three years. A third teenager had been charged with attempting to kill the victim, then 14, by stabbing her three times in the back following a fight over a boy. She is pleading not guilty. Defence lawyers Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri represented the 17-year-old.
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Clamp-down on unregistered foreign cars

January 9, 2014, 11:10 pm
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Several cars with foreign number plates were yesterday impounded by Transport Malta as it clamped down on unpaid vehicle registration taxes. A Transport Malta official confirmed the authority’s action, saying the number of used vehicles with foreign-registration number plates on the roads had “mushroomed”. Residents of Malta have to pay registration tax on cars imported for personal use but many flout the 20-day grace period allowed at law. There is a fine of €30 for each day that a vehicle remains not locally registered after the 20-day period lapses. ksansone@timesofmalta.com More on the Times of Malta and the e-paper on timesofmlta.com Premium
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Update 2: Government to consider MCESD proposals for citizenship scheme - PM

January 10, 2014, 2:34 am
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The government would be considering proposals made by members of the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development during a meeting with the Prime Minister this morning. No commitment was made, however, that the scheme would be changed. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said after the meeting, which lasted more than two hours, none of the criticism made attacked the principles of the scheme. The proposals made were relating to details. One such proposal was from the GRTU to increase the value of property from €350,000, to €500,000 and to prohibit the new citizens from selling their property after five years. They also proposed that the new citizens should be made to spend time in Malta each year. The Union Haddiema Maghqudin requested further qualifications as to what the funds from the scheme would be used for. Dr Muscat said that the meeting was very fruitful and acknowledged the importance of involving the MCESD. Criticism across the board by the social partners was that they should have been in the discussions about the scheme from the very beginning. The partners also expressed the wish that an agreement on the scheme would be reached between the government and the...
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Update 2: Jailed for life for murdering ex-wife's partner

January 10, 2014, 1:57 am
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A man was this afternoon jailed for life after jurors found him guilty of murdering his ex-wife's partner by seven votes to two. Martino GATT was found guilty of slightly injuring a 14-year-old girl by six votes against three and unanimously found guilty of the possession of firearm and of firing in a residential area. His ex-wife - who was not present during the trial and who did not testify - was present for the reading out of the verdict. After verdict was read out it was checked by all parties involved to ensure it could be registered. Even though Mr Gatt defended himself, legal aid lawyer Simon Micallef Stafrace was present for this stage. During submissions on punishment lawyer Lara Lanfranco, who represented the Attorney General's office with lawyer Nadia Camilleri, said that that after hearing the accused express the way he felt during the trial she feared society would not be safe with him around. "It's clear that, from the way he reasons, anyone who is an obstacle to him will be in trouble and he will feel justified to assist in their suicide. I think some people's lives are at risk today because of the way he reasons... "Louis Ellul did not do anything to the accused...
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Video footage sparks homophobic abuse

January 10, 2014, 1:45 am
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Footage of a French photographer performing sexual acts on one of his young Maltese male models surfaced yesterday as dozens of explicit ‘selfies’ continued to dominate the social media. In the footage, seen by Times of Malta, a young male is seen posing in the nude in what appears to be an abandoned building. The three-minute clip, recorded by an unmanned video camera, was taken while another man, believed to be French, watched and commented on the young man’s chiselled physique. It is not known when the video was recorded. However, the attire of the photographer seems to suggest it was... This article is part of our premium content. Full story is available on Times of Malta Premium.
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Update 2: Prime Minister orders removal of tent outside Mater Dei Hospital

January 10, 2014, 4:46 am
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The Prime Minister has ordered that a tent set up outside Mater Dei Hospital today be removed. A spokesman for the OPM said that because of the situation the government inherited from the previous administration certain decisions had to be taken. But although the intention was good, the decision to erect a tent and put the reception area there was wrong. The tent was set up in front of the hospital's Day Care Unit to serve as a temporary reception area until next month in case of an influx of patients suffering from influenza. Its setting up was followed by a directive to nurses from the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses to carry out just one specific role as from tomorrow. President Paul Pace said the directive meant that, for example, surgical nurses should only carry out surgical duties and not medicinal and administrative roles, as was currently the situation. Nurses were also instructed not to perform nursing duties under any tents. The union said it was registering a dispute with the hospital and would be issuing the directives without notice in line with the civil service agreement. A spokesman for the ministry said that as an influx of patients because of influenza was...
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Motorcylist dies in crash with car

January 9, 2014, 10:00 pm
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A 32-year-old motorcyclist, Clive Brincat known as il-Gojja, has died in a collision between a motorcycle and a car in Triq il-Konvoy ta' Sta Maria, Mqabba. Mr Brincat who lived in Floriana, is from Valletta. The accident happened at about 5.30am. The car, a Peugeot 206, was being driven towards Kirkop by a 19-year-old policeman from Qrendi. He was not injured The victim, who was riding a Piaggo Runner, died on the spot. An inquiry is being held.
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Fewer countries now letting Maltese adopt

January 12, 2014, 8:01 am
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A number of countries are ‘closing their doors one by one’ to prospective adoptive Maltese parents. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Child adoption talks with Slovakia and Poland are underway as other countries are “closing their doors one by one” to Maltese parents. The news comes after The Sunday Times of Malta spoke to two couples whose time is running out. “Our stomach is in knots. The end justifies the means; however, we feel we are running out of time and all the doors are closing one by one,” Jim* told this newspaper. Jim, 38, has been married to Claudia*, also 38, for more than 10 years. They attended a preparatory course with State support agency Appoġġ last summer, carried out home visits and submitted all the... This article is part of our premium content. Full story is available on Times of Malta Premium.
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