Updated 1745 News Portal Radio
Times of Malta reports that former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri has filed a fresh request for bail that will be decided on Friday.
MaltaToday reports that 1,545 persons were found flaunting COVID-19 regulation and fined by enforcement officials last week.
Newsbook reports that as the first spring migratory birds flew over the Maltese islands, BirdLife Malta reported various illegalities that it said “have become the norm” in trapping and hunting.
TVM reports that the Prime Minister has confirmed Vince Muscat’s request for a second presidential pardon
Updated 1232 – Covid-19 Update
191 new cases of coronavirus were reported on Monday, with 323 recovering. These cases were identified through 3,413 swab tests carried out yesterday and lower the active case tally to 2,603.
Till yesterday 145,935 doses of the anti-Covid vaccination were administered, 44,483 of which were second doses. A 99 year old female became the 373rd fatality of the pandemic in Malta
Update 1130 – Another arraignment expected
Various months of intensive investigations by the Anti Money-laundering unit within the Financial Investigations Department have led to another person being arraigned. A man and two companies are expected to be arraigned in Court this morning in front of Duty Magistrate Dr Ian Farrugia.
They are going to be charged with money laundering, falsification of documents and other charges.
Updated 0830 – Newspaper Review
The Independent says that Malta’s Moneyval review is expected to be delivered within the next two weeks. In January, Prime Minister Robert Abela expressed confidence that the country would not be grey-listed.
The Times quotes Prime Minister Robert Abela who pointed out that former chief of staff Keith Schembri is no longer “an integral part” of the Labour Party while appealing for the corruption cases opened on Saturday to be handled rapidly.
L-Orizzont follows an interview with Prime Minister Robert Abela who said that the developments on Saturday related to corruption and money laundering show that institutions are working effectively and independently.
In-Nazzjon reports on an urgent meeting of the PN parliamentary group on Sunday discussing the charges against Keith Schembri and ten other people. The group said that good governance remains at the top of its agenda.
The Independent quotes the Prime Minister who expressed total trust in the institutions and said he would not allow anyone to undermine their integrity. Comments by Keith Schembri last week sought to raise doubts over the conclusions of a magisterial inquiry.
In-Nazzjon quotes PN Leader Bernard Grech who told interviewer Chris Peregin that steps forward in cases against institutionalised corruption came thanks to the efforts of Daphne Caruana Galizia, civil society, and the PN.
The Times says that an exam for bird trappers has raised doubts about the government’s motives after a leaked test paper showed a set of straightforward multiple choice questions and an easy exercise asking trappers to copy numbers and letters from pictures of bird rings.
L-Orizzont speaks to Sports Minister Clifton Grima who announced that studies about a motorsport track are at an advanced stage. He said that a proposed racetrack will strike a balance between sport requirements, community needs, and environmental care.
Morning Briefing
PM Abela seeks distance from Keith Schembri
Prime Minister Robert Abela strongly resisted any association with former Chief of Staff Keith Schembri, insisting that the latter was not even a member of the Party. “I categorically deny he is an integral part of Labour.”
The PM was reacting to events unfolding a few hours earlier where the former PM Joseph Muscat’s right hand man, Schembri, together with his father, and a number of persons from Nexia BT and financial services company Zenith spent their first night in prison, after being charged with a number of offences, including money laundering, corruption and financial crime.
In an indirect reference to a statement by Schembri earlier last week, in which he sought to put into question the credibility of the magisterial inquiry, the PM said that he will defend the institutions: “I will not let anyone undermine their integrity”. However, he insisted that many of the accusations pre-dated 2013, when Labour was first elected to power, at a time when the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit had scarce resources.
The PM insisted that the action taken over the weekend by authorities was a result of government’s commitment to strengthen the FIAU, police and judiciary, and expressed hope that the cases are handled with expediency. Dr Abela said he wanted full justice in the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia and called for the justice process not to be dominated by partisan politics. He pointed out that for some, the ultimate goal was greed for power and not justice.
PN would return any money from Yorgen Fenech
PN Leader Bernard Grech said that the Nationalist Party was unaware of any monies handed to the party by Fenech and promised to take the necessary action if there was. “If it results that money was passed on, we do not want that money,” he added, in an interview with Chris Peregin, founder and CEO of LovinMalta.
The Opposition Leader also decleared that she would also grant self-confessed assassin Vincent Muscat a second presidential pardon to reveal inside information on three more major crimes, adding that the Prime Minister should feel uncomfortable with the allegation that a sitting Minister was involved in a “big job” years back.
The Party condemned the government for the damage caused to the country and said that it will be using Parliamentary time to emphasize and explain the gravity of the situation.
Grech said that Schembri’s case was brought to the fore, not thanks to the institutions, but thanks to the Civil Society and the Nationalist Party that fought tooth and nail to ensure that the procedures would start.
Covid-19 Update
Malta reported 224 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, according to the health ministry. Active cases stand 2,736, after 358 recoveries were registered. There were three persons who died while positive with Covid-19.
