Times of Malta says a panel beater who was abducted in broad daylight in Rabat has told a court that he was punched in the face by his kidnappers, who threatened to chop off his finger and rape his sister.
MaltaToday says that Carlos Schembri, the alleged victim of a Rabat abduction earlier in January was threatened with having his fingers cut off, and his sister raped, a court heard on Friday.
Newsbook says a court has appointed three psychiatrists to assess murder suspect Abner Aquilina by March, as the magistrate presiding over the criminal proceedings against the man ruled that timeframes will be suspended on suspicion that the accused was insane at the time of the offence.
TVM says that With effect from this month, elderly persons ages 75 and over and living in their own homes or with relatives will be receiving a 300 euro annual grant, and those aged 80 will be receiving 400 euro per year.
Updated 1530- Health Minister announces further reduction in quarantine requirements
Health Minister Chris Fearne announced that as from 21st February, primary contacts who have taken the booster, will be required to quarantine for only five days if they return a negative test. Children between 5-11, who are fully vaccinated will be required to quarantine for five days after this date.
As from 1st April, standing weddings will be allowed to 300 instead of the current 100.
Updated 1300
Dembska murder: Compilation of evidence against Aquilina continues: The compilation of evidence against Abner Aquilina, who stands accused of raping and murdering Polish student Paulina Dembska, continued this morning. Proceedings were dominated by arguments about the accused’s fitness to stand trial, after the magistrate said that yesterday she was informed by Corradino Correctional Facility that Aquilina would not attend the sitting after being taken to Mount Carmel mental health facility. Stefano Filletti, representing the family of the victim, put doubts on whether the victim was truly suffering from mental health issues given that the court was notified of this situation a few hours before the sitting. Another issue which the Magistrate is facing relates to the fact that there is a specific timeframe during which the Court needs to decide whether the case can go forward, and is therefore considering suspending this window due to Aquilina’s inability to attend.
44 persons of trust at OPM: PM Robert Abela employs 44 persons of trust, including 27 people listed as either ‘secretariat officers’ or ‘secretariat pool.’ The data was provided in a reply to a parliamentary question by Opposition MP Claudette Buttigieg and also includes staff employed with minister Carmelo Abela’s secretariat. The staff complement includes 13 messengers and six personal drivers/security officers.
Covid-19 Update: A 78-year-old man has died while COVID positive, while 214 persons tested positive overnight. 280 have recovered, lowering the active case tally to 2,675. Of these, 98 people are in hospital, five of whom in ITU. The man becomes Malta’s 560th Covid-19 victim.
Morning Briefing
Cheques announcement a smokescreen – PN
Government’s announcement to hand between 100 and 200 euro in cheques to workers and pensioners was a smokescreen intended to cover-up the news that PM Robert Abela’s law firm received a 17,000-monthly concession by former PM Joseph Muscat. PN Spokesperson Peter Agius said “the measures announced by Abela [yesterday], were already announced in the budget last November. This is nothing but a smokescreen to cover actual news on Abela’s PA contract and that Joseph Muscat, was given an office in Sa Maison”. Agius said statistics by the National Statistics Office show the rise in wages was not enough to compensate for the rising cost-of-living: “Abela gets a €17,000 a month to work on weekends, while you get €1.75 a week. We believe we have to take the right measures to address the rising cost-of-living,” Agius said.
Cabinet approves femicide changes
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a set of amendments to the Criminal Code which have the aim of introducing for the first time in our legal history the concept of femicide, or better the gender-motivated killing of a women or girl. By means of these amendments, three main changes will occur: the law will now be providing a list of femicidal circumstances that will guide the Court for a harsher penalty when a person is found guilty of homicide; the law will also be providing that homicides with femicidal circumstances would be excluded from qualifying as being an excusable homicide on the basis of the so-called defence of sudden passion; and the law will also similarly regulate the offence of attempted homicide undertaken in femicidal circumstances.
Covid-19 update: Two men and a woman have died, as 240 new COVID-19 cases were diagnosed overnight. The health authorities said the number of cases in hospital had stayed constant at 92, with five in intensive care. The latest victims were aged 63, 93 and 87. The number of people who died while COVID-positive has now reached 559. A total of 318 people recovered overnight, leaving 2,742 active cases.
