Malta News Evening Roundup

Good evening

An eventful afternoon in Malta as the NAO released its report on the power station selection process; Alfred Sant finally decided to seek another MEP term; SIGMA 2019 was officially inaugurated.

The National Audit Office presented a report on the power station contract awarded to Electrogas to parliament. The Times says that the General Auditor was not satisfied that the bidding process complied with minimum requirements. The Malta Independent says that the NAO report points to inconsistencies in the evaluation of submissions, and some bidders were approved despite having the same shortcomings for which other were justifiably disqualified. Konrad Mizzi, at the time Energy Minister, had described the selection process as “rigorous.” The matter was discussed in Parliament in the evening session, as reported on TVM. Partit Demokratiku said that the report should go to the Police to initiate investigations. 

Full Report can be accessed here. Abridged version can be accessed here

The body of Akram al-Mashay who died at a construction site in Sliema on Monday, has started its journey to Libya, where he will be buried.Newsbook says that the Libyan community in Malta thanked the Libyan Consul in Malta and Medavia for their cooperation. Meanwhile, calls have been made for legal steps to be taken against those responsible for the tragic accident.

An international coalition of NGOs is appealing to Malta, Italy, and Spain to prevent migrants to be returned to Libya, reports The Shift News. Twelve migrants were rescued at sea by a Spanish fishing boat and the Spanish government is negotiating their return to Libya. The UN Refugee Agency pronounced in September that the north African country cannot be considered “a place of safety for the purpose of disembarkation following rescue at sea.”

Alfred Sant has submitted his nomination to contest the European Parliament elections in May 2019. MaltaToday pick up a Facebook post in which the former Prime Minister announced that he delivered the application to the Labour Party Headquarters in Ħamrun. His candidature is seconded by Helena Dalli, Joe Debono Grech, and Tommy Dimech.

The sister of AFM official Godwin Schembri, discharged after a video of him ridiculing the erection of a gate in Pembroke, spoke out against his dismissal on a support page set up on Facebook. LovinMalta says that Schembri’s sister said authorities “act tough with common workers, but then grant fraudsters positions of trust.”

TVM covers the opening address of the SIGMA conference by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat who said Malta is a centre of excellence in gaming and digital economy. One News says that over 12,500 delegates from 80 countries will participate in this edition of SIGMA which, it says, has grown into a European event.

Talks between public pharmacists and the government over work condition have stalled for more than 18 months. Net News says that a meeting between representatives and Health Minister Chris Fearne is expected tomorrow, after a series of industrial actions have been called by UĦM Voice of the Workers.