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Kidney machines at Mater Dei hospital can finally be replaced

February 17, 2017, 8:00 am
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Kidney machines at Mater Dei are to be replaced.

Kidney machines at Mater Dei hospital can finally be replaced or upgraded after the court rejected an appeal by a bidder for the tender. The process to change or revamp the hospital’s 32 dialysis machines was stalled last year after one of the bidders, Associated Equipment Ltd, contested the award of the contract to A.M. Mangion. AEL’s appeal had been rejected by the Contracts Department revision board but the company took the matter to court in October. This week, the Court of Appeal rejected AEL’s claims that the winning bid did not satisfy the technical specifications of the tender. The court noted that the adjudication process included demonstrations by three short-listed bidders of how the machines worked and the results obtained fulfilled what the tender had been asking for. In view of this the contract was then awarded on the basis of price with A.M. Mangion coming out on top after it put in the cheapest offer. The Appeals Court threw the case out and upheld the original decision by the revision board that had rejected AEL’s claims. This decision means the hospital’s Renal Unit can now move forward with its plans to gradually replace the machines. The hospital has 32...
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Man released hours after being jailed for two months for contempt

February 16, 2017, 8:50 am
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A man who earlier this morning was condemned to an effective jail term of two months was released hours later when another court reversed the decisio. Carmelo Zammit, who is facing criminal proceedings for fraud, was declared to have acted in contempt of court when he ignored a freezing order upon his assets and transferred two vehicles to third parties. A magistrate's court deemed this to amount to contempt of court and sent the accused to prison for two months.   The man's lawyers filed an application claiming unlawful detention. The court, presided by duty magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit, heard that the arrest was illegal since it had been based on a wrong application of the law. Defying a freezing order was punishable under an article of law different to that applied in respect of the accused. The court declared that the arrest =illegal and granted the accused his freedom.  Lawyers Franco Debono, Amadeus Cachia and Josette Sultana were defence counsel.
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EP committee asks Nexia BT to say who owns Egrant

February 18, 2017, 12:01 am
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Keith Schembri, the Prime Minister’s chief of staff

MEPs from the Panama committee inquiry visiting Malta next Monday are still awaiting a reply from the Prime Minister’s chief of staff Keith Schembri on whether he will be appearing before them to answer questions. While Minister Within the Office of the Prime Minister, Konrad Mizzi – one of the two politically exposed persons (PEPs) uncovered by the Panama leaks as owning a company in Panama – yesterday announced that he will appear in front of the committee, Mr Schembri, the Prime Minister’s right-hand man, is still to decide and inform the committee on whether he will accept their invitation. Asked yesterday by the Times of Malta on whether his chief of staff will be meeting the committee on Monday, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat did not reply. “That is up to Mr Schembri to communicate to the public,” was his terse answer. In a reaction, the Nationalist Party said that the Prime Minister should not continue to “hide” behind Mr Schembri but should order his chief of staff to appear in front of the committee. Dr Mizzi’s last-minute decision to attend Monday’s meeting with the 16-member-strong MEP delegation has led to some changes in the committee’s programme, which will now also...
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Fitch affirms Malta's rating, gives positive outlook

February 17, 2017, 10:03 pm
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Fitch Ratings has affirmed Malta's long-term foreign and local currency issuer default ratings (IDR) at 'A' with a positive outlook. The issue ratings on Malta's senior unsecured foreign and local currency bonds have also been affirmed at 'A' and 'F1', respectively. The country ceiling has been affirmed at 'AAA' and the short-term foreign and local currency IDRs at 'F1'. The agency said Malta's ratings reflected its high national income per head compared with the 'A' median, robust economic growth and a large net external creditor position. The ratings, it said, were constrained by ongoing structural bottlenecks as captured by the weak World Bank ease of doing business indicator. The positive outlook reflected the agency’s view that the public debt/GDP ratio was on a downward trajectory and that economic growth would keep outperforming similarly-rated peers. Economic growth remained strong in 2016 at 3.9% year-on-year over the first three quarters, boosted by robust private consumption. “We forecast the Maltese economy will keep growing at a faster pace than the 'A' median at an average 3.3% over 2017-2018, supported by strong employment growth, rising disposable income due to...
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Air Malta reservations systems back to normal after global outage

February 18, 2017, 3:20 am
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  Updated 4.15pm Air Malta's reservations systems are back to normal after a global outage which affected many airlines around the world. The airline's flight operations were not affected. The Maltese airline said it regretted any inconvenience due to circumstancesbeyond its control. In case of any queries customers can contact the airline's call centre on 2166 22 11. The so-called Sabre system is used by more than 400 airlines worldwide. Air Malta said it was in constant contact with Sabre to minimise inconveniences to   
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Three of every four people who drowned in Malta last year were foreign

February 17, 2017, 11:02 pm
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Nine of the 12 people who tragically drowned last year were men, nine of who were foreign. Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi

Three-quarters of people who drowned in Malta last year were men, the vast majority of whom were foreign, official figures show. Data on drownings tabled in Parliament by Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela on Wednesday show that nine of the 12 people who tragically drowned last year were men, nine of whom were foreign. Perhaps the highest profile drowning incident last year was that of a Polish couple whose romantic New Year’s Day stroll turned to tragedy. The 50-year-old Polish woman was washed out to sea by a wave when she was on the rocks in the area known as Tas-Simar in Qala. Eyewitnesses had recounted how her 51-year-old partner, a man, who was with her at the time, jumped into the sea to try and save her. The sea conditions at the time were not rough but the area is susceptible to the odd freak wave. This, together with the cold January water temperatures and strong underwater currents, proved too much for the couple. The man was taking pictures of the woman by the water shortly before the tragedy. The phenomenon of foreigners being more likely to drown is not a new one. Back in 2013 this newspaper reported how more than 70 per cent of the victims who drowned at sea in...
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Draft media bill would restrict freedom of expression - Mario de Marco

February 17, 2017, 8:40 am
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The Nationalist Party will be suggesting amendments to a new media and defamation bill following internal discussions, PN deputy leader Mario de Marco said today. Emphasising that the PN is “in favour of fewer restrictions on the media and more room for freedom of expression,” Dr de Marco expressed regret that the government’s draft bill seemed to restrict freedoms. A draft bill presented by the government on Tuesday would require news websites to register with the government and seeks to double the maximum penalty for libel to €20,000, while removing criminal libel and the imposition of garnishee orders on journalists.  Dr de Marco said that it was not on to force news and current affairs websites, even those created by individual citizens, to register with the government in today’s digital world. READ: IT experts slam proposals to register websites Apart from expressing his reservations on how this could be regulated, Dr de Marco said that the Opposition would contest this regulation. The proposal has been strongly criticised by IT experts, with the Malta IT Law Association likening it to rules in countries such as China and Russia.  The Justice Ministry has said that the...
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Claims that hospital staff lack qualifications are untrue, says Vitals Global Healthcare

February 17, 2017, 6:17 am
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Staff working within hospitals run by Vitals Global Healthcare were all adequately qualified and registered with their respective regulatory councils, the company said today.  In a statement, VGH denied claims that it was recruiting specialists without the necessary qualifications required for specialist grades, saying such allegations were "simply untrue".  The company said it wished to reassure the public that all recruitment standards and procedures "are being strictly adhered to".  READ: Doctors' association gives warning of industrial action VGH was last year handed contracts to run St Luke's, Karin Grech and Gozo General hospitals.  Last Tuesday, the Medical Association of Malta gave the government 14 days to resolve outstanding collective agreement issues or face industrial action by medical professionals.  In its statement, the MAM had claimed that specialists were being recruited in Gozo despite lacking necessary qualifications and without an adequate screening process.  VGH said that it remained open to dialogue with all unions and stakeholders, though it bemoaned the MAM's approach, saying that "an organisation which pledges to 'unite all members of the medical...
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Yachting Awards to sail on as court sinks injunction attempt

February 17, 2017, 6:05 am
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An attempt to stop the first edition of the Malta Yachting Awards ceremony was thwarted this morning after a civil court rejected a warrant of prohibitory injunction filed by a company irked that organisers had not engaged its services.  Malta Business Review and its managing director Martin Vella had filed the warrant against Yachting Malta Ltd, the organiser of the awards ceremony which is scheduled to be held this evening at the Westin Dragonara Ballroom, St Julian's. In their application, the plaintiffs had claimed that they would suffer irremediable damages should the event be allowed to proceed. The First Hall, Civil Court presided by Madame Justice Lorraine Schembri Orland, declared that the plaintiffs had failed to prove how they would suffer irreparable damages should the event be held according to schedule. The court pointed out that although the plaintiffs had been informed since January 9 that the services of MBR Ltd were not to be engaged, the warrant to stop the event was only filed recently. "I have been waiting for you to tell me what these irremediable damages are," the judge declared, telling the plaintiffs that she had been tempted to reject the warrant...
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Government, Labour youths hit back at media bill critics

February 18, 2017, 5:07 am
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Updated 6.30pm with Labour Youth Forum statement The new media bill launched was not proposing the registration of people to be able to comment online, the government said this morning. In a statement, it said this was a deceitful spin the Opposition was trying to give. What the bill was proposing, the government said, was the registration of editors of local news or current affairs websites on the internet in the same way as newspapers, television and broadcasting editors were registered. A draft bill presented by the government on Tuesday would require news websites to register with the government and seeks to double the maximum penalty for libel to €20,000, while removing criminal libel and the imposition of garnishee orders on journalists.  The government said it was following with interest the debate on the bill, which would lead to greater freedom of expression through the removal of criminal libel and the introduction of new mediation systems in civil libel. It would also eliminate the possibility of precautionary warrants during civil libel procedures. The government said it would continue with the consultation process and welcomed suggestions and observations on the...
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Turkish PM wants EU to open membership talks on justice and media freedom

February 17, 2017, 5:07 am
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Updated 6.10pm - PM visits Chamber of Commerce Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım has called on the European Union to open membership talks on justice and media freedom, possibly under the Maltese Presidency, saying it would be a good opportunity for his country to set the record straight on some related issues. Mr Yıldırım, who is on an official visit to Malta, made this appeal during a joint news conference following bilateral talks with Prime Minister Joseph Muscat at Castille, in which he faced questions on Turkey’s record on fundamental rights. The issue came to the fore following a failed coup staged in July last year, which was followed by the closure of a number of pro-Opposition publishers, media restrictions, and arrests. “If freedom of the press and rule of law are so important to the EU, then let us open the negotiations on Chapters 23 and 24 on justice and freedom of media, so that we can respond to anything the EU has to say,” the Turkish Prime Minister said. In his reaction, he justified his government’s decision to refuse entry in Turkey to a number of journalists saying this was done for security reasons. “We are fighting those who claim they are...
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Two of every three missing people are youths

February 18, 2017, 7:47 am
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There were 837 reports to the police about missing persons last year. Photo: Mark Zammit Cordina

Two of every three missing people last year were youths, debunking the myth that elderly patients with dementia were the bulk of the problem. Police statistics on missing persons tabled in Parliament by Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela show that there were 837 reports to the police about missing persons last year. The greatest number – 399 – were aged between 15 and 20, while 177 were under 15. Just three per cent were aged 60 and over, the figures show. Last year, Times of Malta reported how one person is expected to go missing every day in Malta by 2025, due to an increase in mental health problems primarily associated with old age. More than a quarter of the island’s population will be aged 70 or over by then, and about 10,000 will develop acute memory loss. Criminologist Saviour Formosa said at the time that the government was working on a pilot project to test the viability of introducing tracking technology for those diagnosed with memory loss. He pointed out that searching for lost dementia patients who wandered off was a heavy burden on law enforcement officers and often a traumatic experience for relatives and patients alike. Questions sent on the outcome of the...
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Breathless Claudia Faniello heads for Eurovision Song Contest

February 18, 2017, 2:49 pm
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Updated 12.40am with press conference Claudia Faniello will be representing Malta at the Eurovision Song Contest in Ukraine after beating stiff competition from a song performed in Maltese.  Faniello's song Breathless won 4,966 votes, beating Janice Mangion's Kewkba to second with 4,544 votes, while Kevin Borg, a former winner of Swedish Idol, placed third with the song Follow (2,502 votes).  The winner was chosen solely through televoting with the jury being dropped from the selection process. It came at the end of a glitzy show screened live on TVM, and watched by tens of thousands.  A total of 16 finalists took part in the final which took place at the Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre in Ta’ Qali. Ballads and heavy make-up dominated the evening with the quality of songs ranging from the catchy to the downright mediocre.   Faniello, 28, is a seasoned singer who first performed at the Malta Eurovision back in 2006. The winning song, a ballad, composed by Philip Vella and Sean Vella and written by Gerard James Borg, was cheered loudly among the crowd present at Ta' Qali.  "I had a break after four years because I wanted to focus on my career and because I wanted to be back with...
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Insulin needles for adult diabetics are unavailable

February 18, 2017, 7:01 am
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Diabetics who needed regular insulin injections were being forced to get by with needles usually used by children, as the eight-millimetre ones for adults were out of stock, Times of Malta was told. The patients who require the needles – normally used with injection pens to deliver injectable medication into the body – are being told the eight-millimetre needles are unavailable. They have not been informed when they will be available again. Staff at Mater Dei Hospital's outpatients’ pharmacy confirmed yesterday the needles were not available. Instead, patients were being given the smaller needles. Private pharmacies said that although diabetics could get the adult needles under the Pharmacy of Your Choice scheme, they were presently unavailable. However, the needles could be purchased for about €15 per box, each containing 100 needles. However, a spokeswoman for the Health Ministry denied that the needles were out of stock, insisting that both the eight-millimetre and the six-millimetre versions were available. “The eight-millimetre needles were temporarily withheld as the Central Procurement and Supplies Unit investigated two remarks from patients that [they] were ‘different’...
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JG Vassallo, journalist and former union man dies

February 18, 2017, 11:31 am
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Journalist and opinionist Joseph George Vassallo died today, aged 93.  Better known as JG, Mr Vassallo joined the editorial staff of Times of Malta in 1950 and in 1962 was appointed head of news at Rediffusion Malta and Television Service. After retirement, he continued contributing in several Maltese and English-language publications throughout his career, including The Malta Independent. Between 1971 and 1990 he was director general of the Malta Chamber of Commerce and also served as editor of The Commercial Courier.  He was involved in the General Workers' Union between 1944 and 1950. The Institute of Maltese Journalists paid tribute to JG Vassallo who had served as a council member when it was known as the Press Club. 
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ITS lecturers, students ‘in the dark’ over new campus

February 18, 2017, 10:01 am
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The site for the new ITS at SmartCity. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

Lecturers and students at the Institute of Tourism Studies say they have been “left in complete darkness” as to what will happen in the immediate future, the Times of Malta is informed. Meanwhile, the Tourism Ministry would not give details on when the campus in Pembroke will be closed to make way for a massive tourism and residential project undertaken by DB San Gorg Property Ltd, the owners of the Sea Bank Group. Announcing plans for the building of a new ITS at SmartCity, in Xgħajra, Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis had said the campus was expected to be inaugurated in 2019. “The planning phase for the development of the new ITS in SmartCity is at an advanced stage. Once this phase is completed, detailed information on the construction and the eventual move will be provided,” a ministry spokeswoman said. READ: Price tag for new ITS campus rises to €75 million Questions on whether the present campus would have to move to temporary premises to make way for work on the DB group project to start were not answered by the time of writing. Lecturers told this newspaper it was not known what would be happening until 2019. “Our institute cannot be easily transferred onto a...
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Nexia BT says it owns Egrant, but PN scorns it, Busuttil points to Brian Tonna contradictions

February 19, 2017, 12:09 am
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Last updated at 11.03 with Simon Busuttil reaction below - Nexia BT, the financial services company at the heart of the Panama Papers scandal, has claimed it owns the Panama company known as Egrant. Company boss Brian Tonna told MaltaToday that Egrant never traded and never changed hands. He said Egrant was a shelf company bought by Nexia BT in July 2013 and never had clients. He produced a document to back his ownership statement. Several Nationalist MPs including Simon Busuttil in tweets this morning poured scorn on the claim. Labour said a bubble has burst in Dr Busuttil's face. The Nationalist Party has long questioned the ownership of Egrant, noting that it was set up through Nexia BT at the same time as minister Konrad Mizzi and chief of staff Keith Schembri set up their own companies in Panama.  Today's claim comes just before a European Parliament committee starts its work in Malta as park of investigations into the Panama Papers scandal. Times of Malta reported yesterday that EP committee has asked Nexia BT to say who owns Egrant. It asked Nexia BT to say who is the beneficial owner of Egrant and to state whether the owner is involved in politics. MEPs also want to...
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Three of every four people who drowned in Malta last year were foreign

February 17, 2017, 11:02 pm
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Nine of the 12 people who tragically drowned last year were men, nine of who were foreign. Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi

Three-quarters of people who drowned in Malta last year were men, the vast majority of whom were foreign, official figures show. Data on drownings tabled in Parliament by Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela on Wednesday show that nine of the 12 people who tragically drowned last year were men, nine of whom were foreign. Perhaps the highest profile drowning incident last year was that of a Polish couple whose romantic New Year’s Day stroll turned to tragedy. The 50-year-old Polish woman was washed out to sea by a wave when she was on the rocks in the area known as Tas-Simar in Qala. Eyewitnesses had recounted how her 51-year-old partner, a man, who was with her at the time, jumped into the sea to try and save her. The sea conditions at the time were not rough but the area is susceptible to the odd freak wave. This, together with the cold January water temperatures and strong underwater currents, proved too much for the couple. The man was taking pictures of the woman by the water shortly before the tragedy. The phenomenon of foreigners being more likely to drown is not a new one. Back in 2013 this newspaper reported how more than 70 per cent of the victims who drowned at sea in...
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PL activist is given twice her minister’s pay as CEO

February 19, 2017, 1:18 am
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The oncology centre at Mater Dei Hospital is one of the projects completed by the Foundation for Medical Services. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

Carmen Ciantar, the international secretary of Labour’s women’s branch, Nisa Laburisti, has been given a government contract of employment worth twice as much as that of her minister. The Sunday Times of Malta is informed that Ms Ciantar has been given a three-year financial package worth €104,000 annually as chief executive officer of the Foundation for Medical Services (FMS), making her one of the highest paid government employees ever. According to Ms Ciantar’s contract, obtained by this newspaper, she is entitled to a basic salary of €82,560 annually. However, her income shoots up by another €22,000 when her performance bonus and other allowances are considered, including fuel, communications and a €6,360 car cash allowance. Sources at the FMS told this newspaper that apart from her €104,000 financial package, Ms Ciantar, who until a few months ago was married to former Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, also decided to bring to the foundation her former secretary and driver from another government entity (ARMS Ltd), where she was appointed general manager after Labour returned to power. Ms Ciantar was chosen for the post directly and without any public call by...
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Drug abuse reaches ‘a whole new level’

February 18, 2017, 10:01 pm
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More than 20 kilograms of cocaine were seized by the police last year. Photo: Shutterstock

Drug abuse has reached a “whole new level” as more people dabble in cocaine, according to police sources, with emerging trends suggesting that some users can splurge on over €400 worth of the drug in one weekend. People’s attitudes towards drug abuse are changing rapidly, a trend that is also seen in the rest of Europe. “We have seen instances of someone saving for a whole month and then going out on the weekend and thinking nothing of spending €400 on cocaine,” one source said. While the drug law reform which came into force in 2015 was not a bad idea in its enti-rety, it reinforced the mentality among some people that drug use could be taken lightly, the source continued. The Sunday Times of Malta was seeking reactions to a report published earlier this week which showed that last year seizures of cocaine had quadrupled over 2014, with the police seizing more than 20 kilograms. More than 108 kilograms of cannabis resin, 88 cannabis plants, 10 times the amount confiscated two years before, as well as 12 kilograms of cannabis grass were found by the police. Yet while insisting that the drug problem in Malta is real and on the rise, the police source said the seizures did not...
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