Updated 1600
The Times of Malta reports that the Nationalist Party has filed a judicial protest asking the court to force the director of contracts to investigate a multimillion-euro contract for a new cancer treatment facility.
Maltatoday reports that a man and his son were charged over discovery of crack cocaine lab, cash and drugs. Mario Brignone, 68, of Bormla and his son, Josef Zammit, 30, from Marsaskala both pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were arraigned before Magistrate Josette Demicoli this afternoon.
The Malta Independent says that PN spokesperson for energy and enterprise, Mark Anthony Sammut, said that nothing is being done in Malta to encourage oil exploration.
Newsbook reports that Electrogas director and Tumas Group chair Ray Fenech today appeared in front of the parliamentary committee probing the contentious Electrogas power station contract.
Updated 1230
Man linked with suspicious Muscat payments faces multi-million dollar lawsuit in US
A man that had been linked with suspicious payments to former prime minister Joseph Muscat is facing a million-dollar fraud lawsuit in the United States. The Times of Malta reveals today that Pakistani Wasay Bhatti is at the centre of a web of Swiss companies that have both received and made notable payments to players in the Vitals Healthcare hospitals scandal, including Muscat. He is being accused by a US pharmaceutical company of making “false representations” and, consequently, running off with $1.47 million meant for the supply of COVID-19 antigen tests. The former Maltese Prime Minister Muscat started to provide consultancy services to Bhatti a few weeks after resigning from his role.
Mafia attracted to Malta’s taxation regime, Italian body says
Italian criminal organisations’ migration to Malta is facilitated by the proximity of the two countries and the EU’s customs union, a report by DIA, Italy’s anti-mafia investigation body, found. Church portal Newsbook says that the report noted how Malta’s “privileged tax system, together with the regulatory facilitations in company law, are factors that have favoured the conspicuous laundering activities of the various mafia clans.”
FDI in Malta increases: During the year 2021, FDI flows in Malta increased by €3.4 billion, the NSO said today. The main contributors to total FDI flows were Financial and insurance activities with a total contribution of 85.9%. In December 2021, the stock position of FDI amounted to €204.1 billion.
Morning Briefing
PN wants police to act on allegations of Marsa junction corruption scandal, PM not aware of EU investigations
The PN has called on details of police action after revelations in the Sunday papers of a potential major scandal associated with the Marsa junction works. PN MP Beppe Fenech Adami said the minister was adopting the usual cliché that those who had evidence (about the Marsa road works claims) should go to the police. Yet, it should be the police who should be investigating. Questioned outside Parliament, PM Robert Abela denied knowledge of any investigation by EU authorities on the project, which was co-funded by the European Union. (Times of Malta)
Magistrate Lia has financial interest in Repubblika challenge
NGO Repubblika said that Magistrate Nadine Lia stands to inherit from her father-in-law Pawlu Lia, and so has a financial interest in the outcome of challenge proceedings filed by Repubblika, documents submitted in court show. The documents, the NGO is arguing, show the magistrate not only has a moral interest, but a financial one and so should recuse herself from the case. The documents submitted on Monday, show the magistrate stands to inherit a number of properties belonging to lawyer Pawlu Lia. (Maltatoday)
23 engineers get warrant
Minister for Public Works and Planning Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi presented the warrant to 23 engineers who completed their studies in engineering and passed the warrant exam to start practising their profession. During a ceremony held at MUŻA in Valletta, Minister Zrinzo Azzopardi spoke about the significance of this warrant, which is the state’s recognition of a person’s readiness to start practising a profession – which comes with duties and responsibilities.
Minister Zrinzo Azzopardi mentioned the need for the Board of Engineers to have more regular contact with its members so that, in collaboration with the Chamber of Engineers, they carry out a process that identifies the relevant needs of their profession. “With this process, we want to understand where the profession is heading and how we can work to draw more young people to this field,” stated Minister Zrinzo Azzopardi. (DOI)
