Keith Schembri asked Muscat’s bodyguard to meet Melvin Theuma, Court hears
Keith Schembri instructed Joseph Muscat’s former bodyguard, Kenneth Camilleri, to meet Melvin Theuma, who repeatedly sought updates on the bail of Daphne Caruana Galizia’s hitmen, the court heard Friday. When Camilleri informed then-PM Muscat, he replied, “I’d rather not know about this.” Camilleri testified in a case against Schembri, charged with perjury and leaking investigation details. The probe began after Yorgen Fenech, accused of complicity in the murder, claimed Schembri had leaked information to him. Theuma, who admitted to being the middleman, was given a no-show government job months before the murder. (Times of Malta)
Ombudsman finds ‘systemic maladminisration’ in prison
A report by the Ombudsman has found systemic maladministration at the Corradino Correctional Facility during Col. Alexander Dalli’s tenure as Director of Prisons, from July 2018 to December 2021. The investigation was launched in 2021 following persistent media reports of human rights violations and non-compliance with prison regulations. Concerns raised by NGO Moviment Graffitti prompted then-Ombudsman Anthony Mifsud to initiate the inquiry. to a lesser extent, the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.” On the basis of the evidence, the Ombudsman said, three focal points of maladministration clearly emerged, endemic dysfunctionality in prison management, serious shortcomings across various operational aspects of the CCF and use of intimidation as an operational tool. (The Malta Independent)
EC launches proceedings against Malta for failing to transpose directive on info exchange
The European Commission has launched infringement proceedings against Malta and several other member states for failing to transpose two directives on information exchange and company size criteria. In a press release on Friday, the Commission stated that Malta had not notified the transposition of an amendment to the Accounting Directive, which adjusts size criteria for micro, small, medium, and large undertakings to account for inflation. Member states were required to submit notifications by December 24, 2024. Similar letters were sent to Cyprus, Czechia, Spain, and Portugal, with a two-month deadline to respond.
