A review of Malta’s newspapers and portals follows:
A network of 79 individuals allegedly illegally selling bluefin tuna caught in Malta was busted in an operation involving enforcement agencies from a number of countries, the Times of Malta has learned
There were sufficient grounds for Silvio Zammit, a former canvasser of ex-Nationalist minister John Dalli, to face trial, a magistrate ruled yesterday. Mr Zammit is accused of demanding payment on two occasions, including a €60 million bribe from a Swedish snus tobacco producer, to influence changes to an EU directive when Mr Dalli was European health commissioner. The Times of Malta
95% of child abuse cases are carried by married people and not by priests, the head of the safe-guarding commission Andrew Azzopardi was reported saying on In-Depth by The Malta Independent.
Police officer Simon Schembri is reported saying that he became a better self, after the incident which saw him losing his arm, when he was involved in a hit-and-run case, for which 17 year old Liam Debono stands accused. The Malta Independent
L-Orizzont says that, according to the report on the 2018 Budget, the areas that scored the highest implementation rates were justice and finance. The report was published by the Office of the Permanent Secretary.
Other stories in L-Orizzont report on a pay rise for home workers in elderly care, which the government said shows its commitment to services in the community; and on a EU target in the number of graduates which the paper says was reached thanks to increased female participation.
In-Nazzjon carries a story about a hit-and-run accident in Kirkop, when a 17-year-old drove ‘towards a police officer’ in a stolen car. The officer escaped the hit and the driver fled the scene, only to be stopped and arrested some time later.
Another story in In-Nazzjon says that statistics by the European Commission places Malta among the worst countries in the area of Education. PN Secretary General and spokesperson for Education Clyde Puli said this highlights the difference between what the government says and what it does.
LovinMalta and Newsbook reportmakeshift memorial to Daphne Caruana Galizia outside the boarded-up Great Siege Monument in Valletta was cleared away last night, around 48 hours after it was erected during a protest to mark the first anniversary since her murder.
Malta has been on the receiving end of unjustified and unprecedented attacks on its reputation, which did not reflect the true state of affairs in the country, Edward Scicluna said. Speaking on Xtra on Thursday, the Finance Minister said that there had been a campaign instigated against Malta, which painted a picture of the country which did not reflect the facts. – MaltaToday
