The European Parliament’s financial crimes committee is this evening holding an exchange of views with Justice Minister Owen Bonnici.
This committee, formally known as Tax3, is tasked with following up on the work of the special committee on the Panama Papers and tax evasion schemes. Dr Bonnici was called before the committee after replies to MEPs’ questions by Malta’s ambassador to the EU, Daniel Azzopardi about 17 Black and the Panama Papers investigations were deemed unsatisfactory. The Times reports.
MaltaToday reports that the European Parliament’s Socialists and Democrats group have called for a ban on European Union countries from selling passports, which they say are putting the Union’s integrity and security at risk.
During the hearing of its financial crimes committee on Monday, the group – of which Malta’s Labour Party is a member – said EU-wide action had to be taken to tackle money laundering linked to golden visa schemes run by some of its member states.
In other news:
LovinMalta picks up a Facebook post describing the problems faced by young people on average income looking to get a home loan. Damjan Attard’s post, which went viral, says that people working in sectors such as education and healthcare will not be able to afford buying a house.
Foundation work on the first two of seven bridges in the Marsa junction project has started, leading from Aldo Moro road to Garibaldi road. TVMsays that this phase is expected to be completed by mid-summer. One News quotes Minister Ian Borg who said that the completed project will have A kilometres of pedestrian and cycling lanes connecting Marsa and Paola.
Archbishop Charles Scicluna said that the decline in mass attendance was ‘shocking’, but it is an important moment for the church to discern the signs of the times. In an interview with Newsbook, Mons. Scicluna said that attendance is not as low as in other European countries.
Energy Minister Joe Mizzi rejected claims that the ARMS Ltd. billing system is cheating consumers. MaltaToday says the minister would not give a date on the conclusion of a review exercise analysing the current system.
The court started hearing the case about a fight that broke out outside the Pembroke school last week. Two adults are being charged with attacking a 15-year-old student and injuring two teachers. The Malta Independent says the student was expected to take the stand but his testimony has been postponed because he has not yet spoken with his lawyer.
Meanwhile, PN Leader Adrian Delia met the Malta Union of Teachers to discuss the state of the education system in Malta, reports Net News. Delia said that the country advanced every time it invested in educators and students and declared the party’s support to the union.
The Times reports on a fresh crisis in the Mediterranean as a boat carrying some 150 people has signalled it is in distress. The Malta Armed Forces have been alerted by the paper says that the boat is outside Maltese waters.
The EU’s transparency register shows that Henley & Partners has spent €300,000 in 2018 on lobbying the EU. The Shift News reveals that the company employs a team of two full-timers and three part-timers to influence policy and laws relating to citizenship.
