Iosif Galea wired MGA employeee 130k, Court told / Malta News Briefing – Thursday 2 June 2022

Planning Minister withdraws nomination for PA chair: Planning Minister Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi said that he withdrew Anthony Borg’s nomination for PA chair after Borg admitted he failed to report a case of bribery. Borg was being grilled by parliament’s Public Appointments Committee on Wednesday when he revealed that 12 years ago, as a case officer, he had been approached by a police officer with money asking for a favour. Borg said he refused the offer and walked away but admitted not reporting the matter to his superiors or the police. He was being grilled by Nationalist MPs Adrian Delia and Karol Aquilina.After the committee meeting was over, Aquilina went to the police to report the matter.

Tourism minister promises crackdown on sunbed abuse in Comino:  Beach operators will not be allowed to take over Comino with deckchairs and umbrellas, the tourism minister has vowed, saying that action will be taken if people are not free to lay down a towel wherever they wish.  Clayton Bartolo pledged a crackdown on the Blue Lagoon deckchair abuse that has plagued the popular destination for years. “On Blue Lagoon, I expect that whoever goes there and wants to sit on a towel without renting a sunbed and umbrella can do so and the operators must remove the deckchairs,” he said. 

Morning Briefing

Iosif Galea wired MGA employeee 130k, Court told

A court heard on Wednesday that gaming consultant Iosif Galea wired former Malta Gaming Authority chief technical officer Jason Farrugia €130,600 in 177 transactions. Galea, a former compliance officer of the Malta Gaming Authority, is being held in Italy as part of a German tax evasion investigation. He’s also wanted in Malta for an alleged scam using leaked gaming regulator information. Former technical officer Jason Farrugia, 34, and his 26-year-old wife Christine were charged with money laundering last week and pleaded not guilty. (Times of Malta)

Former Birkirkara FC defender charged with money laundering

42-year-old Mark Anthony Bonnici from Birkirkara, was charged by summons before magistrate Marse Anne Farrugia on Wednesday morning with misappropriation after allegedly taking clients’ deposits for handyman jobs but failing to perform any work. Inspector Claire Vella Borg accused Bonnici, a former Birkirkara FC centre-back, with misappropriating a total of approximately €15,000 from four clients between 2017-2019. He was also accused of recidivism and money laundering.(Maltatoday)

Covid-19 Update: Health authorities reported 115 new cases of Covid-19, as the daily tally reached the three-digit count for the first time in a couple of weeks. 95 persons recovered, leaving the active case tally at 1,430.