Prosecutors have appealed the not guilty verdict handed to Yorgen Fenech in the trial over the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. Lawyers from the Office of the Attorney General filed the appeal on Tuesday, one day before the deadline. Fenech was acquitted earlier this month after jurors voted 8-1 in his favour on charges of conspiracy and complicity in the murder. His defence team now has 20 days to submit its response, after which the appeal will be scheduled before three judges of the Court of Criminal Appeal. Under Maltese law, prosecutors can only appeal a jury verdict on narrow grounds, including serious irregularities or a manifestly wrong interpretation or application of the law that could have affected the outcome. The appeal therefore does not amount to a retrial of the evidence presented before the jury. The Court of Criminal Appeal will instead have to determine whether the legal conditions for overturning the jury’s verdict have been met.
(The Malta Independent)
Driver Faces 12 Charges Over Marsa Collision
A 41-year-old self-employed man from Marsascala is facing 12 charges following a serious road collision in Marsa on Saturday night. Justin Vella is accused of causing grievous bodily harm to a pedestrian, failing to stop and provide assistance, fleeing the scene and driving recklessly above the legal speed limit. He is also facing allegations of breaching traffic regulations, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and refusing to undergo mandatory police testing. Officers were called to Triq Diċembru Tlettax at around 10pm after reports that a pedestrian had been struck by a vehicle. The victim received treatment at the scene before being taken to Mater Dei Hospital, where doctors certified the injuries as grievous. Witnesses said a BMW struck the pedestrian while travelling through a red light before the driver made a U-turn and briefly stopped. (Maltatoday)
University Robots Set to Scan Remote Shelters
Two humanoid robots acquired by the University of Malta are being trained for work in locations considered too dangerous or unsuitable for people, including World War II shelters, caves and post-incident sites. The robots will support the university’s Immersion Lab Team by surveying locations, scanning artefacts, transmitting information and analysing data gathered on site. The larger 1.82-metre Unitree H2, named Jane JN-5, and the smaller G1, named Nestor 10, are part of a wider fleet that includes quadruped and tracked robots. They were acquired through the €8 million EU-funded inMotion project, which covers the full data cycle from design and capture to analysis and outputs. Professor Saviour Formosa, who leads the lab, said the technology could reduce risks to humans while improving knowledge of hazardous environments, citing fireworks explosions as one possible application. (The Times of Malta)
