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Henley contract published, Opposition objects to blacking out of clauses

February 18, 2015, 9:43 am
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The Opposition this evening objected to the blacking out of some clauses of the government's contract with Henley and Partners, the main administrators of the Individual Investment Programme (the passport scheme). The objection was made as the Public Accounts Committee held its first meeting to scrutinise the contract. (See a copy of the contract and subsequent amendment on pdf below) Committee chairman Tonio Fenech said that while he agreed that issues affecting national security should not be made pubic, the Opposition was requesting an explanation from the government or Identity Malta about the clauses which had been blacked out, and may ask the Speaking to give a ruling about whether such deletions were justified. Justice Minister Owen Bonnici said the parts which were blacked out consisted of commercially sensitive information. The clauses had been blacked out in the national interest because this was a highly competitive area and one should not give give away information which could undermine his competitiveness. Both sides agreed, however, that in another meeting an explanation would be given of what the clauses consisted of. Follow proceedings live on stream below and...
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Ex-commanders say army could take part in any Libya mission

February 18, 2015, 11:10 pm
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Retired army commanders believe the Armed Forces of Malta has the military capability to contribute troops to any UN intervention in Libya. Brigadier Maurice Calleja said the army could afford to contribute to any ground operation with a platoon in much the same way as it has done in the EU’s anti-piracy mission off the Somali coast. The C Special Duties Company is well trained for such missions, Brig. Calleja added. His views are shared by former army commander Brig. Rupert Montanaro, who believes that even a token presence would be sending the right message. “The country should declare where it stands [on the issue] and perhaps do so by pledging even one individual for any UN ground operation because this will show commitment,” Brig. Montanaro said. A retired army official said the special duties company had reached such a high standard that boarding teams operated on Dutch warships off the Somali coast. “These highly trained soldiers were potentially involved in conflict situations and have performed well every time they participated in anti-piracy missions,” he said. Read more on Times of Malta.
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Fgura shop roof caves in, lucky escape for salesgirl

February 19, 2015, 4:16 am
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A salesgirl had a lucky escape when the roof of her shop caved in this morning as construction works were carried out. The incident took place at about 1pm in Hompesch Road, Fgura. New storeys were being built above the shop, For Her. The roof caved in when concrete planks were reportedly placed on top of it. The woman managed to rush out as debris came crashing down. Tests are currently being carried out on the stability of the butcher shop next door.    
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Ireland to donate offshore patrol ship to Malta

February 18, 2015, 9:48 pm
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The Republic of Ireland is to give an offshore patrol vessel to Malta to help it cope with the migration crisis.  Defence Minister Simon Coveney agreed to give the recently decommissioned Le Aoife to Malta following a meeting in Latvia with Home Affairs and National Security Minister Carmelo Abela in the margins of the informal meeting of EU Defence Ministers. “The Maltese authorities require the ship for their armed forces to assist in the patrolling of the Mediterranean Sea to deal with the ongoing difficult refugee crisis in the region. Recent tragic events in that part of the Mediterranean have underlined the significant challenges which need to be addressed by the international community and Ireland is very keen to play an active part in this regard,” Mr Coveney was quoted as saying as The Irish Examiner.   “I welcome this very important contribution from Ireland which will help in bridging a gap in Malta’s naval capacity pending our future acquisition of a new offshore patrol vessel,” Mr Abela said.   Le Aoife, which is 65.2m long and has a displacement of 1019.5 tonnes, will be the biggest vessel to join the maritime squadron of the Armed Forces of Malta. It was built 35...
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Office of the President says it did not issue orders for passengers to be kept on coach after item was lost on plane

February 19, 2015, 3:03 am
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Updated - Adds Air Malta explanation, statement by the Office of the President - The Office of the President said this afternoon that it never asked anyone to stop the disembarkation of passengers from an airport coach after the President's husband returned to an Air Malta aircraft to look for a list item, reportedly a mobile phone. Passengers on the flight from London were fuming in the early hours of this morning after being made to wait on a coach for 20 minutes. President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca and her entourage were first to disembark the aircraft after it landed on schedule at 12.40am, and walked to the VVIP area. In the meantime the remaining passengers boarded a waiting coach which, however, remained stationary. After a few minutes, the President’s husband, Edgar Preca, emerged from the VVIP area and walked back to the aircraft – accompanied by soldiers in army fatigues. He re-boarded the plane and disappeared from view but the coach, which was jam-packed with irate passengers, was not given clearance to make its way to the terminal. One passenger said: “We were left to stand on the coach in the cold – it was windy last night and the doors were left wide open –...
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Two hit by car in Vittoriosa

February 19, 2015, 11:50 am
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A 50-year-old woman and a 48-year-old man, both from Cospicua, are receiving hospital treatment after being hit by a car in Vjal Cottoner, Vittoriosa, this evening. The incident happened at about 7 p.m. as the two were crossing the road near the sports complex. The woman was critically injured.  The car involved was a VW Polo driven by a 21-year-old man from Zabbar.
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Electoral Commission becoming Labour Party club - Chris Said

February 20, 2015, 4:10 am
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The Nationalist Party is insisting the Electoral Commission should explain how the Labour Party ended up having one of its internal sensitive documents. The Opposition also accused the Commission of filling its internal executive positions with Labour sympathisers, transforming the office into a Labour Party club. Addressing a press conference outside the Commission’s offices in Valletta, PN secretary general Chris Siad condemned the document leak and said chief Electoral Commissioner Joseph Church should order an investigation. He said that although two days had passed since The Malta Independent revealed the leak, it had still not uttered a word. “The Electoral Commission is a constitutional body which should be and be seen to be impartial. Leaks of sensitive documents should not be allowed to happen,” Dr Said said. The PN secretary general said the Commission was losing the respect of the Nationalist Party and people who believe in democracy and a fair electoral process. He said it was evident that its decision to appeal the court ruling giving the PN an additional two seats in Parliament was taken in the interests of the Government. Dr Said said that it was Mr Church who...
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Mepa turns down former government's application for wind farm off l-Ahrax

February 19, 2015, 8:10 am
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The Mepa Board this evening turned down an application for the building of a wind farm on Is-Sikka l-Bajda off Mellieha. All the board members voted for the refusal except Ryan Callus, the Opposition's nominee on the Mepa board. The permit application, submitted by the former government in 2009, was refused on environmental grounds because of the impact which the project would have had on the marine environment and bird colonies at nearby L-Ahrax tal-Mellieha. But Mr Callus argued that the environment impact assessment had not been completed yet. He also insisted that the project was vital for the country since it would have yielded 40% of the renewable energy target which Malta needs to achieve in terms of EU commitments. He wondered how anyone could argue that the wind farm would not have been viable, when studied showed the opposite, and in the UK, much bigger wind farms were viable. The decision, he said, should be taken after measures to mitigate the environmental impact, such as a single test turbine, were taken. The site, he said, had been selected by experts who viewed it as the best. Rejecting it would effectively be rejecting wind energy in general. Former minister...
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Court hears evidence in case over former Enemalta chairman's spending

February 19, 2015, 7:48 am
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Former Enemalta chairman Alex Tranter used Enemalta funds to pay for two rooms at the Hilton in London where he attended the International Petroleum Forum in February 2010, shortly before he left his post, a court heard this afternoon. One room was for him and the other for his personal assistant, Bronia Mercieca, who was actually on leave, current executive chairman Fredrick Azzopardi said. He was testifying in the compilation of evidence against Mr Tranter, who stands accused of misappropriating the corporation’s funds during his term as chairman between 2005 and 2010, particularly during 2007, 2008 and 2010. The prosecution is alleging that Mr Tranter made personal use of company funds. Ing. Azzopardi’s testimony focused on Mr Tranter’s trip to London when which he used the company visa card to book two rooms at the Hilton Hotel. According to company records, it resulted that two other Enemalta officials also attended the event on behalf of the company, booking rooms at the cheaper Holiday Inn Hotel. He said Ms Mercieca booked vacation leave to be able to travel to London. Mr Tranter attended the 2014 IP Forum that was a “socialising” event which involved a series of cocktail...
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Let's give diplomacy in Libya another chance - Joseph Muscat

February 19, 2015, 2:10 am
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Prime Minister Joseph Muscat this morning appealed for diplomacy in Libya to be given another chance. He said thatsince UN special envoy Bernardino Leon believed there was still a chance for a diplomatic solution, this route should be exhausted before military action was considered. Libya and Egypt yesterday asked the UN Security Council to lift an arms embargo on Libya to help it build up its army and tackle Islamic State and other extremist groups. This was a step back from Egypt’s call earlier this week for a UN mandate to intervene militarily in Libya. Italy also seems to have mellowed in its position calling for military intervention by a UN-led force. Speaking to journalists this morning, Dr Muscat said that all countries, however, agreed on the need for some kind of UN intervention although the form such this intervention should take still had to be established. He said that he discussed the situation with Egyptian President Abdel Fatah el-Sisi last night and told him he did not believe that initiatives such as those taken by Egypt in Derna, Libya, should be taken by one country but should be led and backed by the UN. Egypt has attacked Derna  after IS extremists overran...
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State pays out €350,000 to cover Carnival electricity

February 19, 2015, 12:09 am
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Carnival enthusiasts have accumulated some €350,000 in unpaid electricity bills in past years and the government has now intervened to foot the cost, Times of Malta is informed. Enthusiasts, however, claim the bills were always meant to be paid by the government. While the government has announced the construction of a €6 million carnival village in Marsa to house workshops, sources close to the Malta Arts Council said the amount goes back decades. The sum has been left unpaid and the government is now trying to conclude the matter. Since the 1970s, carnival enthusiasts have been using workshops in various areas around the capital to build their floats. These workshops, usually derelict warehouses in Valletta’s Fort St Elmo, Floriana and Marsa, included the supply of water and electricity facilities usually owned by the Land Department. Read more on Times of Malta.
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Sewage overflowing in Balzan valley

February 20, 2015, 6:53 am
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Residents and motorists in Balzan could only watch in disgust after roadworks accidentally led to hundreds of litres of sewage flooding Valley Road. The untreated waste formed a six-inch deep stream that started near the Lija roundabout and ran all the way to the bottom of the Balzan stretch of Valley Road. Shop owners and residents told Times of Malta the outflow started at around 2pm and only subsided at around 4pm. The stream saw the front facades of shops and houses sprayed in excrement and used toilet paper. The stench was nauseating. The Infrastructure Ministry noted this afternoon that Drainage Section employees went on site to inspect the damage and confirmed that the flooding was not the result of works on the National Flood Relief Project.
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Court upholds €272,000 claim against former More Supermarkets director Ryan Schembri

February 20, 2015, 4:00 am
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A judge has rejected a company's request to annul several bills of exchange over some €272,000 that had been borrowed by Ryan Schembri, the former owner of the More Supermarkets chain.  In an application in court, Etienne Cassar, of Cassar and Schembri (Marketing) Limited requested the suspension of the execution of bills of exchange signed by Mr Schembri, a co-director, claiming that the veracity of the signature could not be established, given his absence from the island. Mr Schembri is believed to have fled Malta in September last year after having allegedly racked up some €40 million in debt. The Sunday Times of Malta earlier this week revealed that Mr Schembri was living in Dubai but had checked out of the apart hotel where he was living after the newspaper had located him and attempted to make contact with him.  Lawrence Fino, who is owed €272,139 filed a counter-claim, insisting that the bills of exchange had been signed in his presence, although Mr Cassar insisted he had no knowledge of any debt with Mr Fino. The amount was a three-month loan taken out by Mr Schembri.  In his judgment, Mr Justice Lawrence Mintoff ruled that while a director of a company could have been...
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Notary denies misappropriating clients' money

February 19, 2015, 6:38 am
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A 62-year-old notary today denied misappropriating over €4,000 in clients' money that should have been used to register a donation of a house but which were allegedly used to settle other dues. Philip Said, from Siggiewi, pleaded not guilty to the charges when he appeared before Magistrate Carol Peralta. He stands charged with misappropriation,failing to carry out his duties and with committing a crime he was duty bound to prevent. Police Inspector Ian Abdilla told the court that he began investigating a report filed by Antoine Bonello against the notary last March 17. The court heard how Joseph and Innocenza Bonello had gone to Dr Said on December 21, 2013, to draft a contract to cover the donation of a terraced house in Siggiewi to their son, Antoine. The contract was drafted on December 29 and Antoine Bonello issued a cheque addressed to the Commissioner for Inland Revenue to the tune of €3,262 to cover the capital gains tax. He also issued another cheque of €630 to cover the notary's fees and a separate cheque of €113.52 to cover VAT on notorial fees. The last two cheques were left blank on Dr Said's instructions, Inspector Abdilla said. When Mr Bonello saw that he had never...
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Quarter of Maltese exposed to racism, extremism online

February 20, 2015, 1:29 am
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A quarter of Maltese have been exposed to racial hatred or religious extremism on social media, the second highest rate in Europe, a recent study has found. The detailed Cyber Security Report, published this week by the European Commission, found that only Swedes were slightly more likely to find the disturbing material on their preferred social network. Despite the amount of this online content remaining fairly steady across the EU, Malta actually registered a significant spike in racist social media. The report said the number of Maltese who accidentally clicked on or scrolled to the offensive material had increased by 13 per cent since 2013. This was the largest increase among member states. Read more on Times of Malta.
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British Foreign Secretary holds 'good talks' in Malta

February 19, 2015, 10:22 am
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Updated 9.11 p.m. - British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond discussed Libya, EU reform and CHOGM during a meeting with Prime Minister Joseph Muscat at the Auberge de Castille this evening. He later said he had had 'good talks' with Dr Muscat and the bond with Malta was 'as strong as ever'. Mr Hammond arrived in Malta at 7.15 p.m. from Spain, where he had talks with Foreign Minister Garcia-Margallo. He also visited Portugal and Algeria. The visit was officially announced 10 minutes before Mr Hammond's plane landed in Malta but the government said it was planned weeks ago. Deputy Prime Minister Louis Grech and Foreign Minister George Vella attended the meeting. 
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Updated: New Mepa rules allow concrete platform on the sand in Għadira; authority says application one of seven similar ones

February 19, 2015, 10:03 pm
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Mepa has used lenient planning rules introduced last year to allow the laying of a concrete platform for a kiosk on the sand at Għadira Bay, a Natura 2000 site the authority is tasked to protect. The planning authority approved a permit for the “upgrading” of a kiosk on the beach. The permit was issued without any impact studies having been carried out even though Għadira is designated as a Special Protected Area. The permit is known as a “development notification order” (DNO), normally associated with minor requests, such as for setting tables and chairs on a pavement. However, DNO rules were revised last year, expanding theirapplicability in the name of eliminating bureaucracy.   Environmentalist and biologist Alan Deidun protested over the permit,  given the site’s protection. “The encroachment on restricted public space on sandy beaches goes against the grain, especially when considering the high density of existing kiosks,” he said. He stressed Mepa’s actions were inconsistent with the recent decision to relocate the Munchies restaurant from the middle of Golden Bay to the side of the beach. “Why protect the sand dunes at Golden Bay and not coastal ones at Għadira?” he...
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Abolition of capital gains tax inflating prices - Mario de Marco

February 20, 2015, 6:10 am
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PN deputy leader Mario de Marco has urged the government to re-introduce the possibility to choose between capital gains tax or a final withholding tax on the sale of property, a measure abolished in the last Budget. He said that this measure has caused a shock to the real estate sector, and in some cases has led to situations where sellers were being taxed even though they were making a loss. Dr De Marco quoted the Federation of Real Estate Agents, the Notarial Council and the Chamber of Commerce, which all called for this measure to be scrapped. The PN deputy leader was addressing a news conference at the party headquarters, along with Opposition spokesman Claudio Grech. Following the last Budget every sale of property on the market for 10 years is being taxed at 10 per cent final withholding, whereas the rest are taxed an eight per cent final withholding tax.  Dr De Marco said that this was leading to an inflation in prices as sellers wanted to recoup the increase in tax. He added that rather than tackling abuse, sellers were under declaring the price to pay less final withholding tax. In addition the fact that fiscal receipts were no longer considered in the calculation of...
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Seven hunters go to Ethiopia to build school

February 20, 2015, 10:32 pm
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Seven hunters and trappers, members of the Federation for Hunting and Conservation - Malta (FKNK) are on their way to Ethiopia to build a school for poor and needy children, the FKNK said. They are all specialised in different construction skills. This project is led by Fr Ġorg Grima from the Moviment Ġesu' fil-Proxmu, and was also made possible thanks to the generous contributions, both financial and in the form of tools, of the Maltese people, especially those of hunters and trappers, the federation added.  
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Finance Minister Edward Scicluna has subdued hope for Greek solution

February 20, 2015, 7:40 am
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Finance Minister Edward Scicluna enters the eurogroup meeting this afternoon with subdued hopes that a solution will be found on the Greek bailout deal. The eurogroup meeting was postponed to 4.30pm from 3pm as the eurozone’s big countries held an emergency round of talks. Speaking to Times of Malta at 4pm, Prof. Scicluna said the talks between the “main actors” could lead to developments but anticipated a protracted meeting of the eurogroup. Asked whether he was hopeful a solution would be found tonight, Prof. Scicluna said: “I don’t think so... My feeling is that we could head towards a summit to take the matter to a higher political level.” If agreement was not reached, Prof. Scicluna said it was unlikely the situation would come to a head tonight. “Luckily there is another wall behind finance ministers; prime ministers and heads of State. And as long as there is this safety net I believe the Greeks may not want to give up just now,” he said. Asked about his comment reported in Malta Today and Bloomberg that a German-backed bloc was ready to let Greece exit the euro, Prof. Scicluna clarified that there had been a mood change among the big players. “I was giving a long-winded...
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