Debono pleads guilty on testimony refusal charges / Malta News Briefing – Friday 18 February 2022

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Times of Malta says a court has found sufficient evidence at face value for former EU Commissioner John Dalli to stand trial.

MaltaToday says Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi revealed Transport Malta returned the 38 low emission vehicles to Christian Borg’s company, Princess Operations Limited, as part of a tender won in 2020.

Newsbook says a search has been carried out on Minister Anton Refalo’s property in Qala to locate a protected VR marker that is believed to have been placed in his home.

TVM says that the wage supplement will be extended to the month of March.

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Debono pleads guilty on testimony refusal charges: Darren Debono it-Topo pleaded guilty before Magistrate Victor Axiak this morning to charges relating to his refusal, whilst under oath, to identify all of his accomplices in the 2010 HSBC armed robbery. In yesterday’s sitting before magistrate Monica Vella, Debono insisted that he would only testify against the accused and would not name the rest of his accomplices, as he feared for his family’s safety. Debono had negotiated a plea bargain, agreeing to serve ten years in prison in exchange of his testimony.

Family calls for fast release of Nepalese biker killed in Marsa incident: Family and friends of 28-year-old Ajay Shrestha are calling for the fast release of his body for repatriation so that loved ones back home can start the Hindu funeral ritual. The food-delivery driver died on Wednesday morning when the lorry’s load of scrap metal and a lamppost hit his  motorbike as he was driving in the opposite direction on Aldo Moro Road. He was taken to hospital but did not survive. Meanwhile, the Malta Cricket Association will be organising a cricket match on Saturday, the proceeds of which will go directly towards the repatriation expenses.

Covid-19 Update: Covid-19 cases decline to below 1,000 with just 79 new cases reported on Friday, as opposed to 288 recoveries. Of the current 988 infected patients, 46 remain in hospital, four in ITU.

Morning Briefing

Opposition, civil society in arms after latest Court developments

The Opposition and civil society organisations accused government of being in cahoot with criminals after extraordinary developments in Court on Thursday, with Darren Debono, known as it-Topo, refusing to name his accomplices, despite having a plea bagain accepted, in connection with the failed HSBC robberty.The Nationalist Party has called for the resignation of the Attorney General and the Justice Minister following a dramatic day in court involving one of the men at the heart of the 2010 HSBC heist. Repubblika also called for the AG’s resignation for her “betrayal of justice”. While the presiding magistrate ordered it-Topo’s arrest, Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi implied in a post on social media that the plea bargain deal with Daren Debono on the HSBC heist was intended to cover up for Labour politicians.

Casa stands up for Orizzont editor

David Casa has condemned the suspension of l-orizzont editor Victor Vella, calling it an absurd decision by the General Workers Union in the face of government pressure. “In my role as Co-Chair of the European Parliament’s Media Working Group, I would like to express my solidarity with Mr Victor Vella… It is clear that the pressure from the Labour government is reaching astronomical levels, even now with the suspension of Mr Vella as editor,” the Nationalist MEP said. Vella is currently undergoing internal disciplinary proceedings.

Covid-19 Update: 109 new cases were found in the last 24 hours, with 292 new recoveries. No deaths have been reported for the first time in a month.