Updated 1300
Police, AG sought ways to justify non-action on Pilatus, new book claims
Police and Attorney General Victoria Buttigieg decided not to prosecute top Pilatus Bank officials and later tried to find reasons to justify why they would not charge them, according to a 700-page book published on Saturday. In the book Pilatus: A laundromat bank in Europe, author and Repubblika president Robert Aquilina published a series of emails which reveals ‘evidence of police, AG cover-up’ in the case of the now-shuttered bank. The book suggests that a specific order not to charge a senior Pilatus Bank official may have been influenced by her relatives’ past professional relationship with Prime Minister Robert Abela. (Times of Malta/Maltatoday)
National airline to close down by end of year – reports
Air Malta will be dissolved by the end of this year, The Shift News revealed on Saturday morning. The investigative news outlet reported that millions of euros will be used to pay redundancy and severance packages, while the plan is to dissolve the national airline and replace it with a more commercially viable airline. The report also suggests that government is seeking ways of emulating Italy’s solution, with the Italian government replacing bankrupt AirMalta with a leaner ITA Airways.
Morning Briefing
Enemalta gets S&P rating uplift
Credit rating agency Standard and Poor’s (S&P) has revised upwards the rating of Enemalta plc; Malta’s national electricity provider. The rating was raised to the level of BB-, after the latest evaluatiion. The new rating reflects the aid the Government is providing to ensure that electriciy bills for consumers in Malta and Gozo remain stable. The report said that Enemalta’s rating is based on the continuous financial support that Malta’s government is providing to the company. The company’s outlook was also revised to stable. (TVM)
Court decision on turtle dove hunting on Monday
A judge will hand down his ruling on BirdLife Malta’s application for an injunction that would prevent the opening of the spring hunting season for turtle dove this year on Monday. Mr. Justice Giovanni Grixti, presiding over the First Hall of the Civil Court, heard the arguments being made by both sides of the debate during Friday’s 90-minute sitting, in a courtroom packed with activists from both camps. The court, having hearing the submissions by the parties, announced that it would be handing down a decree on Monday at 9am. (The Malta Independent)
PN to host protest to celebrate Worker’s Day
The Nationalist Party will be organising a number of activities to celebrate Workers’ Day, including a mass event to protest against the Labour government. Opposition leader Bernard Grech said that the activities will centre around the common theme ‘Nagħtu s-Saħħa lill-Ħaddiem’ (Giving strength to workers). “Workers need a normal and stable country, a fair playing field where everyone can move forward,” Grech said. The Labour Party will also be holding the traditional mass meeting in Valletta on Workers’ Day. (Maltatoday)
