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Update 2 - Kiosk to be removed from De Valette Square

February 12, 2015, 12:54 am
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Grand Master de Valette fought off the Turks seeking to breach his bastions in 1565, but a gabbana (kiosk) cropped up in his own back yard, De Valette Square in Valletta this morning. The kiosk, selling burgers, chips and other take away food and drinks, was parked there just days after the Culture Minister and the mayor of Valletta agreed that the square should not be used for parking.   The square was built as part of Renzo Piano's plans for Valletta. But, like the monti in Ordnance Street, the kiosk was not in the designs. Valetta mayor Alexiei Dingli said on Facebook that the location of the kiosk 'unacceptable'. When a Times of Malta reporter went on site to ask questions, a man who claimed to be from the Culture Department in an aggressive voice asked what the whole issue was about. He said that any questions should be addressed to him and not to the kiosk owner and insisted that everything was legal. More kiosks will be erected in the square over the Carnival period, he said. He also urged the kiosk attendant not to say anything. Earlier the attendant said the location was identified by the "authorities" and she shuffled papers including a VAT receipt of payment for a...
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Government raises costs of 400 services

February 12, 2015, 1:16 am
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The government is raising the cost of 400 services offered by the civil service, the shadow minister for the economy, Claudio Grech said  today. He said that without announcing anything in the budget, the government had now included the 400 tariff increases in a law to implement budget measures. The increases were an average of 10 per cent across the board. "This is an increase in taxes across the board which will effect all sectors of the economy. Its intention is not to offer a better service but to take in revenue" Mr Grech said. Among the increases are practically all court tariffs. He said the PN is opposing these increases. It is suggesting that  a working group with the private sector and constituted bodies should be established to see the impact assessment of the new taxes on the economy. More electronic services should be introduced without any cost to users, while government departments should establish benchmarks to better their services with lower costs. PN spokesman for public administration Censu Galea said that the government should explain how much revenue is it expecting to make from these new taxes.
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Three new candidates for priesthood

February 12, 2015, 6:14 am
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Three fifth year seminarians will on Sunday ask the Church to accept them officially as candidates for the ordination to the diaconate and the presbiterate. They will make their request during a concelebrated Mass presided over by Apostolic Administrator Charles J. Scicluna at the Parish Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Gzira, at 6pm. The seminarians are Sinclair Bugeja from the Parish of the Holy Family, Iklin, Ryan Lee Pace from the Parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Gzira, and Mark Spiteri from the Parish of St Philip, Zebbug. These seminarians will publicly manifest their will to offer themselves to the Church to serve in the ministerial priesthood. Accepting their offering, the bishop will call on the candidates to prepare themselves to worthily receive Holy Orders during the remaining years prior to their ordination. The Church called on the Christian community to pray for the new candidates for the priesthood.
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Magistrate recalls how man threatened to kill her

February 13, 2015, 3:40 am
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Magistrate Miriam Hayman told a court today how a man threatened to kill her, a police inspector and his family in a fit of rage in her courtroom last October.  Testifying in the compilation of evidence against Pasqualino Cefai, 35, of Zebbug, Gozo, Magistrate Hayman said he was "very agitated and even ripped his own jacket" with rage.  Mr Cefai is facing charges related to the courtroom incident that took place on October 2 last year. He stands charged with threatening and insulting the magistrate, disobeying police orders, resisting and assaulting several police officers, injuring a constable, breaching the peace, swearing in public and breaking a glass pane in the police lock-up in the basement of the Law Courts edifice.  Mr Cefai is currently serving time over a stabbing in a Gozo courtroom three years ago.  "He threatened to kill me and even threatened to kill Police Inspector Johann Fenech and his family," she said as she recalled how Mr Cefai "lost it" when she ordered him out of the courtroom.  "I had two cases left, including Mr Cefai's. We called his lawyer several times but he did not turn up so we started the case over the repayment of a loan. He was agitated and...
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Committee members deny being influenced over Pender Gardens tender

February 12, 2015, 11:19 am
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No one influenced the award of a tender for the second phase of works at the Pender Gardens project in St Julian’s, according to a member of the adjudicating committee, a court heard today. The case is over a design and build tender for the T1 and T2 towers and Block 17 at Pender Gardens covering construction, apertures and water and electricity. Pender Gardens had received three bids from GP Borg, JAM consortium composed of Attard Brothers, JS Dimech and Mekkanika Limited and another bid from another consortium formed by Elbros Limited. Peter Diacono, the group’s chief executive officer, told the court the committee was after quality and price was not a determining factor on the decision, so much so that the consortium which had the highest bid was chosen in the end. He was testifying in the compilation of evidence against Pierre Mercieca, 55, from Attard, who is denying trading in influence on and before May 30 last year and against Josef Dimech, 35, a company director from Ta’ Xbiex who is pleading not guilty to being an accomplice. In 2007, Mr Mercieca had been charged in court over the adjudication of the IT system installation contract at Mater Dei Hospital. The case is...
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AG loses appeal to have Scott Dixon's bail revoked

February 13, 2015, 3:29 am
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An Appeals Court has thrown out the Attorney General's request to revoke bail granted to Scottish boxer Scott Dixon over his case related to the trafficking of almost half a ton of cannabis.  The Attorney General had appealed a decision by a magistrate to reprimand Mr Dixon instead of revoke his bail when he was charged with breaching the bail conditions. However, Mr Justice David Scicluna, presiding over the Appeals Court ruled that the AG could not appeal such a decision as Mr Dixon had not been charged with breaching a specific provision of the law that made skipping bail a criminal offence.  The court heard how Mr Dixon appeared before a magistrate on February 4 to determine an application filed by the Police Commissioner to revoke Mr Dixon's bail because he had been caught outside at a times when he should have been home. After considering the evidence, the magistrate decided to "issue a very strict a severe warning that no such other misdemeanours or weak excuses will be tolerated further".   The Attorney General appealed the decision, saying the court had no other option than to revoke bail and order Mr Dixon's rearrest. The defence team, on the other hand, held that the...
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People’s verdict on the controversial bus lane

February 12, 2015, 6:36 am
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Cars stopped and started at the busy Gżira promenade yesterday morning as long lines of traffic clogged the two-lane road. This road is suddenly in the spotlight after Transport Malta announced on Monday that it would extend the bus lane from the Ferries in Sliema by around 700 metres along the Gżira front. The transport watchdog claims this measure will improve traffic flow at the Manoel Island junction as vehicles approaching from Sliema will no longer face a bottle neck. The proposal, however, was slammed by traffic experts who said it would only “worsen” the “dreadful” situation. Just... This article is part of our premium content. Full story is available on Times of Malta Premium.
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Property owners awarded €50,000 for violation of human rights

February 12, 2015, 6:28 am
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Raymond and Christine Cassar Torreggiani have been awarded €50,000 in compensation after a court found that they were deprived of the enjoyment of their property as a result of the 1979 amendments to the Housing Decontrol Ordinance which granted protection of tenure to tenants. Mr and Mrs Cassar Torreggiani told the court that they owned a flat in St Julians which had been leased for five years by its previous owner to Mr and Mrs Tabone in 1978. The Cassar Torreggianis had acquired the flat in 1986. In June 1979, the government enacted an amendment to the Housing Decontrol Ordinance in terms of which tenants, who were Maltese citizens and who lived in a decontrol dwelling house (such as the flat they owned) were granted protection of tenure when their leases expired. This provision of the law, they said, was in violation of their fundamental human right to enjoyment of their property for they could not reclaim it for themselves and, moreover, they were not receiving adequate compensation. The court found there was no doubt that the 1979 amendments negatively affected the right to enjoyment of property on the part of the owners. The law had been enacted with the scope of...
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School children evacuated in precautionary measure

February 13, 2015, 1:44 am
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Primary school children who attend St George Preca College in Hamrun were evacuated in a precautionary measure this morning, following a short circuit. No one was injured. The police said smoke came out of computers as a result of the short circuit but no fire ensued.
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Tancred Tabone had deposited $1 million in Jersey offshore trust set up by HSBC Switzerland

February 13, 2015, 4:51 am
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Former Enemalta chairman Tancred Tabone had set up a Jersey offshore trust into which he deposited $1 million, according to the HSBC data revealed in Swiss leaks. Reporting on the matter today, The Guardian said Mr Tabone planned to transfer more funds, with the bank noting “the potential is evaluated [at] over $10m”. HSBC noted that Mr Tabone was “personally known by … HSBC Malta”. Mr Tabone is undergoing court proceedings on charges of corruption in oil procurement during his tenure at Enemalta. He was charged in 2013 over alleged corruption in 2005. The Guardian quoted Mr Tabone’s lawyer saying he denied all criminal charges against him and had “formally authorised the Swiss authorities to provide all that information … his fiscal affairs in that respect are in order”. On Monday, the Finance Minister asked the Commissioner for Revenue to request information after the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists published data that was stolen by a former employee of HSBC’s private bank in Switzerland. The former employee, who styles himself as a whistle blower, had passed on the data to the French authorities in 2008. The data showed that Maltese account holders had...
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Richard England pleads for Piano's project to be retained in its entirety

February 12, 2015, 10:17 pm
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It is an 'absolute necessity' for Renzo Piano’s proposal for the garden in the City Gate ditch and the bus terminus layout to be made manifest, architect Richard England argues in an opinion piece in Times of Malta today. "To leave the former as a car park and the latter in its present unsightly state would be a calamity that would only serve to decimate the superb quality of the whole enchanting scheme. "The decision to house the hideous, amateurish and unbelievable ugly monti stalls adjacent to this masterpiece was, to say the least, an ill-conceived andcatastrophic one. "The new Parliament and gate complex must be completed as envisioned by the Renzo Piano Workshop. To eliminate essential parts of the project and inflict ill-designed stalls on its adjacent periphery constitutes an unforgivable error that would only deduct from the overall superb quality of the whole project." The well-known Maltese architect who had been commissioned to revamp City Gate before plans fell through heaps praise on Piano: "Only a master architect of the stature of Renzo Piano could have turned Malta stone in Malta lace." His comments came amid an ongoing controversy on the transfer of the open...
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Update 4 - Kiosk moved from De Valette Square

February 12, 2015, 12:54 am
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Grand Master de Valette fought off the Turks seeking to breach his bastions in 1565, but a gabbana (kiosk) cropped up in his own back yard, De Valette Square in Valletta this morning. The kiosk, selling burgers, chips and other take away food and drinks, was parked there just days after the Culture Minister and the mayor of Valletta agreed that the square should not be used for parking.   The square was built as part of Renzo Piano's plans for Valletta. But, like the monti in Ordnance Street, the kiosk was not in the designs. Valetta mayor Alexiei Dingli said on Facebook that the location of the kiosk 'unacceptable'. When a Times of Malta reporter went on site to ask questions, a man who claimed to be from the Culture Department in an aggressive voice asked what the whole issue was about. He said that any questions should be addressed to him and not to the kiosk owner and insisted that everything was legal. More kiosks will be erected in the square over the Carnival period, he said. He also urged the kiosk attendant not to say anything. Earlier the attendant said the location was identified by the "authorities" and she shuffled papers including a VAT receipt of payment for a...
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Dead dolphin found in Qawra

February 13, 2015, 7:50 am
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A dead dolphin was found floating in the rough seas below Fra Ben in Qawra earlier today, he Malta Environment and Planning Authority said. It said in a statement that the protected mammal was a female juvenile 'striped dolphin' aged between seven and 10 years and measuring 1.8m in length. It did not have any superficial wounds. Mepa said that although it was still not clear as to why the dolphin died, the Veterinary Division indicated it had been dead for four to seven days. The carcass will be incinerated following a necropsy.
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Valletta in colour as carnival is celebrated

February 14, 2015, 4:37 am
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Valletta was a stream of colour this morning as a couple of grotesque masks and people in costumes filled Republic Street to celebrate Carnival in spite of the light drizzle. But no floats were to be seen and Merchants' Street was practically empty. Helping provide some cheer and entertainment was Zaren tal-Ajkla on a decorated truck dancing to the music. Although celebrated in several towns and villages, the main events take place in Valletta, Floriana and Nadur in Gozo. Carnival continues until Tuesday when a big defile ends in the main street of Floriana accompanied by a fireworks display. 
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Updated: About 700 migrants rescued from boats near Libya - coastguard

February 13, 2015, 5:50 am
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Two commercial ships and an Italian coastguard vessel rescued about 700 migrants from overcrowded boats near the Libyan coast today, days after more than 300 people died trying to make the crossing to Europe. Rome's coastguard command centre organised rescue operations, which started early this morning after it received a distress call by satellite phone, a coastguard spokesman said. "All of those rescued appear to be in good shape and the sea conditions are good and getting better," the spokesman said. More than 300 migrants died trying to reach Italy from North Africa in stormy seas this week. Italy shut down its Mare Nostrum search-and-rescue operation last October and it has been replaced by a more limited EU border control mission, Triton. The weather has improved since the beginning of the week, the coastguard said, opening the way for migrant boats to set off again from Libya, where the breakdown in law and order has allowed people-smugglers free rein. The UN refugee organisation UNHCR says at least 218,000 migrants crossed the Mediterranean by boat last year and 3,500 lives were lost. This week's deaths have renewed focus on the European Union mission. Unlike its...
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300 youths ‘lost’ from school records yearly

February 13, 2015, 11:22 pm
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More than 300 16-year-olds “disappear” every year from school and employment records, falling into idleness or the black economy, according to a recent report. The vanishing fifth formers do not enter training or legal employment after finishing mandatory schooling. They do not apply for social benefits or register as unemployed, leaving an unexplained black hole in the labour market that has education authorities scratching their heads in search of the ‘missing’ youths. Asked about this phenomenon, Education Minister Evarist Bartolo told Times of Malta he believed the teenagers were either living idle lives as dependants on their parents or were forming part of the black economy. “It is very difficult to keep tabs on these students once they leave school and do not continue their studies. It is like they disappear. Many of them would not have even sat for their O levels. Read more on Times of Malta.  
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Pray and prepare for new Archbishop - Apostolic Administrator Charles Scicluna

February 14, 2015, 1:29 am
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Apostolic Administrator Charles Scicluna appealed to the faithful to pray fervently as they waited for a new Archbishop. “When we pray for the grace of a new Archbishop, we are in fact acknowledging in full faith that this is a gift which comes from the hands of God. This prayer must be offered with faith in the goodness of God our Father, in serenity and without troubled hearts and undue worry. In this way, our prayer and waiting will reflect a mature detachment that will help us accept that the person who will be nominated is a gift from God, which person we will welcome,” he said in his pastoral message for Lent (see pdf links below). Bishop Scicluna said that Malta embarked on a time of prayer and waiting when Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Archbishop Emeritus Paul Cremona in October last year and nominated him Apostolic Administrator. This, he said, could also be described as a moment of fasting while the Maltese waited for the nomination of a new Archbishop. Without yet knowing who the new Archbishop would be, he said, the faithful needed to prepare themselves to adopt a positive outlook towards him and make a commitment in which there was no room for...
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Court orders AD deputy leader to rectify libellous blog post

February 13, 2015, 7:21 am
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A court has ordered Alternattiva Demokratika deputy leader Carmel Cacopardo to rectify a libellous blog post. Magistrate Francesco Depasquale heard Lawrence Zammit and Simon Vella say how they felt libelled by what Mr Cacopardo had alleged in a post on his blog entitled ‘Not only judges...” on January 3, 2013. In the post, Mr Cacopardo made reference to allegations published in l-Orrizont that two companies associated with Mr Zammit, then chairman of Malta Enterprise, were being investigated by the Italian police for money laundering. The post also referred to Mr Vella, as the company’s shareholder, saying both were trusted by former Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi. The court said that Mr Cacopardo’s allegation did not amount to fair comment as it was not based on facts. It resulted the companies Notabile Fiduciaries Limtied and Notabile Consulting Group Limited were never actually investigated but were simply helping the police with their investigations involving Italian companies. This was also confirmed in court. This established, Mr Zammit and Mr Vella told the court they were not after financial compensation but would be happy with a correction on the blog to rectify the...
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Updated: Foundation cleaning up construction waste on planned school site - ministry

February 14, 2015, 4:02 am
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(Adds PN statement) The Foundation for Tomorrow’s Schools (FTS) is currently cleaning up illegal dumping of construction waste that took place by external suppliers during the construction phase of the school in Żokrija, the Education Ministry said. It said in a brief statement it has asked the FTS to review the processes of this work, make sure all permits for works werein place and address any shortcomings in such processes. The Opposition yesterday held a news conference on site to say that works on the school had continued even though they were stopped by the planning authority. Earlier, the foundation, which has applied for a permit to carry out the work, insisted the vehicles on site were removing illegally dumped material and restoring the arable land to its original character, in line with Mepa policies. But when the authority sent its enforcement officer, it emerged that the work was for a proposed access passageway and a gate to the field. While removing the debris does not require a permit, creating the passageway and gate could not be done without the authority’s permission. The site is located opposite Maria Regina boys’ secondary school in Triq il-Biedja. In a...
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Man who misappropriated money jailed for seven-and-a-half years

February 13, 2015, 1:29 am
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A man who was found guilty of misappropriating a sum of money he should have used to register a car imported from the UK has been jailed for a total of seven-and-a-half years after a court converted three suspended jail terms into effective prison time.  Francis Caruana, 60, from St Paul's Bay, misappropriated €2,800 that had been given to him to register a vehicle but some documents were missing and the registration could not take place. Instead, he used the cash for something else, amounting to misappropriation.  Handing down judgment, Magistrate Neville Camilleri said Mr Caruana had not taken advantage of the various chances he had been given and continued to commit crimes even though he knew he had three suspended jail terms hanging over his head.  The court heard how Mr Caruana had received the cash from Krismar Vassallo, Anthony McKay and David Darmanin, in September 2011, who met the accused while queuing at Transport Malta to register a car. They trusted him and handed over the money.  However, the car was never registered and he used the cash for something else. When they asked for the money, Mr Caruana told them he could not give them back and instead gave them a car...
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