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Court hears descriptions of Yana Mintoff Bland stabbing incident

February 16, 2017, 6:58 am
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A court this morning heard more witnesses describe the scene at the Mintoff residence last October when Yana Mintoff Bland, the former prime minister's daughter, was allegedly stabbed by her Romanian partner. The accused, Gheorghe Popa, 39, sat alongside interpreters as Daniel Mainwaring,  Ms Mintoff Bland's son, explained how on the evening on October 24, 2016 he had gone out to dinner with his mother at around 7pm and returned some two hours later. As he smoked a cigarette on the balcony overlooking the garden which separated his house from that occupied by his mother, he heard her and Mr Popa having a heated argument.  He went to her assistance and found her on the floor, gasping for breath, with the accused standing over her telling her 'Who is he?' 'There is no he,' she replied. Mr Mainwaring recalled seeing the silver reflection of a knife in the accused's hand and he was then stabbed in the leg. He rushed out of the house, then turned back for his mother and found her on the way too. She was  injured and in a state of shock. Yelling out for help, he wrapped his arm around his mother and with the help of his friends managed to make it to the Paola health centre. Mr...
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Fake ‘caption’ to a photo turned into a nightmare

February 16, 2017, 8:27 am
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Run down by cheetahs, an impala stares defiantly down a camera lens moments before its death. Shot by a Maltese wildlife photographer, the striking image went viral around the world last week, accompanied by a haunting story: the impala was sacrificing herself to allow her calves to escape. The photographer, the story said, was driven to depression by what she had witnessed. That story was a lie. Alison Buttigieg, a 36-year old photographer living in Finland, was enjoying a quiet day last Saturday when her phone went off. A friend had seen the image, recognised it as hers and was worried about her depression. At first Ms Buttigieg, who is not depressed, found the situation amusing. But another message followed, and another, and eventually hundreds. Some were friends and family asking about her mental health, others were strangers angry that she had not done anything to save the impala. Ms Buttigieg had shot the image, which won an international award last year, back in 2013, “on a pretty standard outing” in Kenya’s Maasai Mara reserve, she told the Times of Malta. The story behind it was dramatic, but not quite as heartwarming. The impala had been brought down by a mother...
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Arrests of street prostitutes down by half over six years

February 16, 2017, 9:19 am
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54 prostitutes were arrested for loitering last year. The figure is less than half that of 2010. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

The number of street prostitutes arrested for soliciting has halved in recent years, as revealed in a comparison of official statistics, while experts point to a shift from ‘traditional prostitution’. Police arrest data, presented in Parliament by Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela, shows 54 prostitutes were arrested for loitering last year. The figure is less than half that of 2010, according to data requested by this newspaper. The data, provided by the police last year, shows a steady decline in the number of loitering arrests for prostitutes, with around 10 per cent fewer annually. Former social worker Rachel Vella, who has worked closely with prostitutes for years, said clients were opting away from riskier street deals and towards new outlets. “People wanting to pay for sex are feeling more comfortable going to other sources than street prostitutes. “We all know what these are,” Ms Vella said. “I don’t need to spell it out, they’re opening all across the island,” she said, declining to comment further. The information on last year’s arrests, tabled by Mr Abela in response to a question from Labour MP Anthony Agius Decelis, shows five were men and the remaining 49 women.
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St Paul’s Bay school works halted

February 17, 2017, 1:59 am
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Excavated area of new school, FTS billboard and same place with billboard removed.

Primary school students from the St Paul’s Bay and Qawra areas who were promised they would start attending a brand new government school later this year will have to wait much longer as the embattled Foundation for Tomorrow’s Schools (FTS) has delayed the project, the Times of Malta is informed. Although excavation works were completed last year in a stretch of land in Qawra where the new school is expected to be built, work has been halted and left at a complete standstill since last October. Residents and parents from the area complained to this newspaper that no one knows what is going on and why the large parcel of land “has been abandoned”. “They (FTS) have now even removed a billboard which said that the new school will be completed by the end of 2017. Everyone here is trying to guess what is actually going on,” a 35-year-old parent of two young children said. The new St Paul’s Bay primary is one of three new primary schools promised by Education Minister Evarist Bartolo in 2015 and planned to be inaugurated this year. Government sources told this newspaper that none of the three schools will be completed on schedule. “The three schools promised by Minister Bartolo in St...
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Parliament remembers Joe Grima as free thinker and strong communicator

February 15, 2017, 9:32 am
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Parliament this evening expressed its condolences to the family of former Labour Minister of Industry and Tourism Joe Grima, who passed away on February 3, one day short of his 81st birthday. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said Mr Grima would be remembered most for being a good communicator in politics and broadcasting.   Mr Grima would be remembered for his hard work and fierce speeches as a politician as well as for having shaped the broadcasting landscape in the 1970s when he was CEO of the Broadcasting Authority. He was a free thinker who never shirked from expressing his views and opinions and was one of a few people who was active in broadcasting across the spectrum of political broadcasting.   As tourism minister he assumed the mantle of salesman and was among the first to realise the potential of Berlusconi TV stations to promote Malta. Malta was, as a result, among the first institutional sponsors of those stations.  Dr Muscat recalled how four years ago he appointed Mr Grima as envoy to the World Tourism Organisation, a role which Mr Grima took very seriously. But this adventure ended prematurely because Mr Grima could not hold back from expressing his controversial...
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OSCE representative urges Maltese authorities to protect free expression

February 16, 2017, 4:49 am
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Intimidating journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia could restrict public debate and diminish media freedom in Malta, the OSCE representative on freedom of the media Dunja Mijatović said today. “I follow with concern media reports of the pressure on (Ms) Caruana Galizia for her critical work,” Ms Mijatović said. “It is the job of journalists to report on issues of public importance and it is the job of the authorities to ensure that journalists can do so without being intimidated or threatened.” On February 8, a court upheld a request by the Economy Minister for precautionary warrants for more than €47,000 to be issued against Ms Caruana Galizia for an article published on January 30. The article compromised his consultant and him during a recent business trip to Germany.  “Initiating libel lawsuits for the work of journalists can very quickly chill free public discourse in any society,” Ms Mijatović said, recalling that public figures must endure a higher threshold of criticism and scrutiny due to their public work. “In addition, the very unusual move to freeze significant financial assets of Ms Caruana Galizia already depicts her as guilty,” Ms Mijatović said. “Freedom of...
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Joseph Gaffarena testifies in Opposition's libel case against GWU newspapers

February 16, 2017, 5:07 am
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The man at the centre of two libel suits filed by the leader of the Opposition against GWU-owned newspapers l-Orizzont and it-Torċa, this morning took the witness stand to face questions by the plaintiff's lawyer. The cases revolve around allegations made by the newspapers that Simon Busuttil had met Joseph Gaffarena before the last general election and demanded Daewoo papers in return for the granting of a petrol station permit, which the Gaffarena family had long been struggling to obtain. Questioned about the meeting which allegedly took place between the witness, the Opposition leader and then minister Joseph Cassar at the PN headquarters, Mr Gaffarena gruffly remarked that he had already given his version in an affidavit before notary Mario Bugeja in August 2015. Asked whether he recalled who was at the meeting, the witness replied “I forgot”. When it was suggested that the witness ought to be shown his own affidavit, Mr Gaffarena remarked that he could not read. Asked whether the affidavit had been written in his presence, Mr Gaffarena replied in the affirmative adding that it had been drawn up at the notary's office. However, the witness could not recall the exact...
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Green light for controversial Polidano development in Balzan

February 16, 2017, 11:30 am
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Charles Polidano plans to renovate three adjoining town houses on Main Street, Balzan. Image: Google

Changes to a controversial planning permit sought by construction magnate Charles Polidano have been given the green light by the Planning Authority despite a history of illegalities on site. Mr Polidano was granted a permit in 2014 to renovate three ­adjoining town houses on Main Street, Balzan, and extend them into their gardens as well as adding a four-car parking area. The permit is being appealed. The changes allow for further restoration works, the construction of a swimming pool and other alterations and additions. The three properties are all Grade 2 scheduled buildings within the Balzan urban conservation area and close to the parish church, one dating back to the British period and another to that of the Knights of St John. The gardens extend into a green enclave. The first permit for the site proved controversial as Mr Polidano is appealing a court fine of €100,000 for the unsanctioned uprooting of several old trees and the destruction of a rubble wall in the gardens. Other enforcement notices, which are still pending, were issued for the illegal demolition of part of the buildings and walls as well as other structures in the back gardens. The planning directorate...
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Billboard saga drags on as illegalities persist

February 16, 2017, 11:02 pm
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The EU Presidency billboard outside the Regional Road tunnels and the one in Attard used by the Office of the President, which are still standing despite being slapped with an enforcement notice last year. Photos: Steve Zammit Lupi

Billboard owners told to pay €1,500 a year per structure are up in arms, saying the authorities are turning a blind eye to competitors they accuse of having been flouting the law for years. They also insist that the annual licence fee was supposed to have been put on hold pending the revision of controversial regulations issued last year, which were meant to crack down on illegal advertising, including billboards. The licence, which was introduced by Legal Notice 103, the Billboards and Advertisement Regulations, is payable to Transport Malta and also applies to other forms of roadside advertising that is larger than 0.5 square metres. At the time, the Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises (GRTU) had called on the government to amend the regulations saying they put a heavy burden on businesses and the retail sector. A month into the controversy, at the end of April 2016, the Planning Parliamentary Secretariat had agreed to launch a public consultation period with the intention of fine-tuning the legal notice. The regulations, which also applied to billboards used by political parties, had been deemed by the Opposition as an attempt to prevent it from spreading its message at...
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Registering websites attacks the very basis of internet freedom, experts say

February 17, 2017, 12:01 am
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The proposed Media and Defamation Act unveiled this week will require all websites to be registered in a new Media Register set up by the government. Photo: Shutterstock

IT law experts have blasted a requirement in the new media Bill for websites to be registered with the government as a move “attacking the very basis of internet freedom”. The proposed Media and Defamation Act unveiled this week will require all websites to be registered in a new Media Register set up by the government. Failure to do so will be subject to a fine of up to €1,000 and registration can be cancelled after three months of inactivity. The requirement applies to “any web-based news service or other web-based service relating to news or current affairs that operates from Malta or in respect of which editorial decisions are taken in Malta”. In a statement, the Malta IT Law Association (Mitla) said the proposal was similar to repressive laws in China, Bangladesh and Russia, where an infamous ‘Blogger’s Law’ was described as “draconian” by human rights groups. “The internet is a bastion of activity and free expression. Registration will put this under government control,” Mitla said. “Such obligations are unprecedented in democratic societies.” The association added that while the Bill attempted to put websites on par with traditional newspapers – which are required to be...
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Food satire on carnival floats along the years

February 17, 2017, 1:00 am
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A carnival style fenkata in 1931. Photos provided by Noel Buttigieg

When the British government took a dig at the local fenkata, out came a carnival float with several children in a rabbit costume, cradled in a pot on top of a kenur. And when the importation of sugar started kicking honey off Maltese tables, a carnival float reminding people of the natural sweetener took to the roads. These early 20th century floats are just two of the ones that will feature in a discussion at the Inquisitor’s Palace next week, ahead of carnival celebrations. Apart from its more known function as a former Inquisitor’s Palace, the place is also the National Museum of Ethnography. The event will in fact be focusing on how socio-political events related to food were brought to life – albeit with a satirical twist – on carnival floats across the years. For the occasion, food researcher Noel Buttigieg will move away from the usual prinjolata, kukkanja and perlini discussion and, instead, walk the audience through the food-related debates as illustrated through floats. The idea for the event has been long in the making. It started in 2003, when he came across two discarded black and white photos outside a bakery in Qormi. One of them was a group photo of Tarxien...
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Man pays dearly for 'free sex'

February 17, 2017, 7:01 am
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A man lured into a Gżira apartment with the promise of 'free sex' today told a court how he was robbed of €800 just as he was putting his trousers back on.  Burgh Spiteri, 27, and Sera Caruana Smith, 34, both residing in Ta' Xbiex and both unemployed, were arrested after the police received a report that a Pakistani man had been robbed of his cash in an incident which took place on Saturday at around 2.00pm in Testaferrata Street, Ta' Xbiex. The victim recalled how last Saturday at around 1.30pm he went to Testaferrata Street after having heard that 'free sex' was on offer there. After allegedly sighting Ms Caruana Smith on the balcony of her apartment and somehow signalling his intention, she invited him into her apartment. Despite not understanding English or Maltese, the man agreed to pay the woman €10 for her services and immediately handed over the money. The two undressed and proceeded to have sex. However, just as he was putting his trousers back on, the woman allegedly called out to her partner in crime. Mr Spiteri then entered the room, grabbed the witness by the shoulder and held a penknife against the terrified man's neck. Meanwhile, Ms Caruana Smith reportedly took...
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Konrad Mizzi accepts invitation to appear before Pana committee

February 17, 2017, 4:06 am
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Minister Konrad Mizzi has accepted to appear before the European Parliament’s committee of inquiry into money laundering, tax avoidance and tax evasion (Pana). The committee will be in Malta next week. I have just phoned @langen_werner to inform him that I am accepting the PANA committee's invitation. — Konrad Mizzi (@KonradMizzi) February 17, 2017 Dr Mizzi said in a tweet: "I have just phoned @langen_werner to inform him that I am accepting the PANA committee's invitation." Keith Schembri, the Prime Minister’s chief of staff, has not yet said whether he will be appearing before the committee. Nexia bosses Brian Tonna and Karl Cini have turned down the invitation. Nexia BT advised both Dr Mizzi and Mr Schembri to open a trust in New Zealand and to buy a shelf company in Panama that would act as a financial vehicle for the trust. The committee has also invited Manfred Galdes, the former director of the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit, to give evidence. Dr Galdes controversially stepped down at the height of the Panama Papers scandal.
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Yachting company sues for libel

February 16, 2017, 7:16 am
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A yachting company has filed libel proceedings against the editor of an online business review over comments which were allegedly intended to tarnish its reputation and that of its chief executive officer. Yachting Malta Ltd together with Wilfred Buttiġieġ, in his capacity as director and CEO, instituted proceedings  against Martin Vella as editor of the Malta Business Review, published by MBR Publications Ltd. The plaintiffs claimed that the editorial published in the journal's 27th edition uploaded in its digital flip-over version in January 2017, was defamatory in their regard.  Yachting Malta Ltd is a public private partnership launched in April 2015 between the Maltese government and the Royal Malta Yacht Club with premises at the Ta' Xbiex seafront. Its primary aim is to promote Malta as a yacht racing, leisure cruising and superyacht destination.  Lawyer Michael Tanti-Dougall signed the application.
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Cartoonists draw on Malta for inspiration

February 16, 2017, 12:56 pm
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This year, the cartoonists sketched at two businesses in Valletta: Nenu the Artisan Baker and Chocolate District. Photos: Chris Sant Fournier

Pens in hand, ready to draw inspiration from their surroundings, a group of some 20 cartoonists have been going round the island meeting locals and sketching cartoons of these encounters. Speaking to this newspaper during a week-long convention, the Malta Mighty Minicon 6, members of the Cartoonists’ Club of Great Britain said they decided to come over for the first time six years ago and have returned annually ever since. “One of the events organised is live cartooning at a Maltese business. Our first year saw us at the Farsons brewery, the following year we were at the Playmobil factory, and this year, our sixth year, we were sketching at two local businesses in Valletta: Nenu the Artisan Baker and Chocolate District,” organiser Richard Skipworth told the Times of Malta. Mr Skipworth said the group drew inspiration from the different people they met as well as their surroundings, and while in Malta, they were producing an average of 60 cartoons a day, some of which they exhibit in the places they visited. According to Mr Skipworth, the club is one of the oldest cartoonists’ social societies in Britain and brings together more than 200 members from all over the UK. It was...
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MEP tells government to heed advice and back down on trapping

February 17, 2017, 2:56 am
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Malta's government should heed its own legal advice and back down on its tradition of trapping endangered migratory birds, an MEP said today.  West Midlands MEP Anthea McIntyre called on Malta to end its annual barbarity to wild birds. She spoke as the country was due before the European Court of Justice (ECJ) over the practice last Wednesday. The ECJ hearing follows Malta’s decision to reintroduce finch-trapping, flouting a ban imposed after its accession to the EU.  It is estimated up to 25 million chaffinches, thrushes, robins, quail and many other species are being shot, trapped or poisoned as they migrate to and from mainland Europe, with Malta being a serious offender. The European Commission officially referred Malta to the ECJ claiming the Maltese government had ignored its formal warnings.  Miss McIntyre said: “Malta needs to end its barbaric slaughter of endangered wild birds and it needs to do so now. "If there was any doubt that there is no justification for finch trapping, it appears this has been made clear by none other than the Attorney General himself who is supposed to be leading the defence on behalf of the Maltese Government.  “Our wild birds are in serious...
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Delay forces Barts medical school to operate from Gozo sixth form

February 17, 2017, 9:41 am
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Photo: Steve Zammit Lupi

A delay in the building of a new medical school campus in Gozo has forced Barts and the London School of Medicine and Surgery to start tuition from temporary premises at the sixth form in Victoria. Barts had planned to start offering courses to international students last September but this was postponed by a year due to the lack of premises. However, in view of the fact that the building of the new campus by Vitals Healthcare has not yet started, the institution decided not to postpone further and to use the refurbished second floor of the Gozo sixth form until the new campus is completed. READ: Barts medical school delayed by a year Questions sent to the Health Ministry on the temporary premises for Barts remained unanswered but a spokesman for the British medical school confirmed the decision: “As from September, we will be using refurbished space within Sir M.A. Refalo Sixth Form College in the heart of Victoria, Gozo, and are delighted to enjoy such a productive relationship with the school.” Asked who will be footing the bill for the refurbishment works involved, the spokesman said the arrangements were being made by Malta Enterprise. This newspaper is informed that...
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Half a million grey recycling bags given away for free

February 17, 2017, 7:35 am
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Updated 6.02pm - Added list of eligible localities Households which separate their waste can now visit their local council and collect a number of grey garbage bags to use for their recycling waste free-of-charge. Recycling waste management firm Green MT has distributed 500,000 of the grey bags to local councils in the 28 towns and villages it collects waste from (see list below), in an effort to further encourage people to separate their waste.  In a statement, the company said that it was committed to further educating the public about the benefits of waste separation and reducing the amount of non-recyclable waste generated by Maltese households.  Official statistics released earlier today showed that Maltese generated 620 kg of municipal waste per capita in 2015. Black bag waste collection amounted to almost 68 per cent of the total.  Just 5.5 per cent of municipal waste was recyclable, although the figure was almost 16 per cent higher than in 2014.  Local council offering free grey recycling bags: Cospicua, Dingli, Floriana, Fontana, Għajnsielem, Għarb, Għargħur, Għasri, Iklin, Kercem, Marsalforn, Marsascala,  Marsaxlokk, Mellieħa, Mtarfa, Mġarr, Munxar, Rabat, San...
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Malta votes for its Eurovision song tonight

February 18, 2017, 12:20 am
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Malta will this evening vote for the song to represent it in Ukraine, which will host this year's Eurovision Song Contest. A total of 16 finalists are taking part in the finals, taking place at the Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre in Ta’ Qali. The song this year will be chosen solely through televoting with the jury being dropped from the selection process. Only one vote per song will be allowed per telephone number and repeat voting will be rejected by the computerised system. Public Broadcasting Services CEO John Bundy has also given a guarantee that the winning song will not be replaced, as had happened last year with Ira Losco. The Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Kiev in May. The Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Kiev in May. The songs taking part in this year's final are: Klinsmann Coleiro – Laserlight Raquela Dalli Gonzi – Ray of light Deborah C & Josef Tabone – Tonight Kevin Borg – Follow Jade Vella – Seconds away Crosswalk – So simple Franklin Calleja – Follow me Rhiannon Michallef – Fearless Miriana Conte – Don’t look down Shauna Vassallo – Crazy games Janice Mangion – Kewkba Cherton Caruana – Fighting to survive Maxine Pace – Bombshell Richard...
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Former employee claims discrimination in MIA dismissal proceedings

February 16, 2017, 7:25 am
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A customer care official whose 24 years of service at Malta International Airport ended in dismissal, has filed a judicial protest against her former employer claiming discriminatory treatment.  Nathalie Mifsud, 44, claimed irregularities in the process which ultimately led to her dismissal in April 2016.  She explained that following alleged shortcomings in the performance, she was suspended on half-pay in October 2015 together with two colleagues.  During disciplinary proceedings, the MIA produced CCTV footage to prove the alleged wrongdoing. Although the quality of the footage was poor and she could not be identified in it, MIA had still used it against her, Ms Mifsud said.  Although the board had declared that it would 'completely disregard' this evidence, the final decision was reportedly based on 'the supporting proof provided by the CCTV footage.   Ms Mifsud said one of her ex-colleagues, who had also been dismissed, was recently reinstated on half pay and granted the right to appeal the disciplinary board's decision.  This was discriminatory in her regard as she was not given the same opportunity, Ms Mifsud said.  She requested MIA to reconsider her right of appeal or...
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