News Update
PN wants immediate deportation of foreigners caught breaking law
The Nationalist Party wants foreigners caught breaking the law to be deported immediately while it has also called for the army to be brought in to help enforce rules. Listing the measures, PN spokesperson Joe Giglio said the police force needs to be strengthened through improvements in conditions that are effective in fighting crime. The force is “demotivated, overworked, overstretched and underpaid,” the spokesperson said. (Times of Malta)
Two arrested over Hamrun brawl
Police have arrested two men over Thursday’s Ħamrun brawl and have identified a further 11 people allegedly involved. The fight occurred on Triq il-Kbira San Ġużepp on Thursday. The Police said in a statement that in connection with the same argument, Ħamrun District Police also arrested a 35-year-old Syrian who lives in Marsa. He will be arraigned in Court tomorrow and will be charged with slightly injuring a 23-year-old Syrian with ‘a cutting and pointed instrument’. (Tvm)
Albanian alleged killer of murder in Greece arraigned in Court
An Albanian man arrested in Malta is believed to have killed two people and set their bodies on fire after robbing them of €780,000 in Greece. But defence lawyers say police have arrested the wrong man, arguing that their client’s name does not match that on the arrest warrant. The man, 36-year-old Ledjon Brakaj, was arrested in Malta after Greek authorities issued a European Arrest Warrant in March. That triggered an alert on the Schengen Information System, which in turn led to the wanted man being tracked down in Malta. (Times of Malta)
Air Malta and Cost of Living on PM’s interview agenda
Malta will continue to have a national airline, Robert Abela said on Saturday in a vaguely-worded assurance to Air Malta workers worried about the company’s long-term survival. Abela said the government would look after the livelihood of Air Malta workers, who would not be the ones to pay the price of reforming the struggling carrier. “We will still have a national airline. I believe that a national carrier can be sustainable, especially given our insularity as an island,” he said. (Times of Malta) The Prime Minister was being interviewed on One Radio. In his interview he also referred to the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), in view of recent comments about the mechanism and the record inflation the country is experiencing. The Prime Minister said that the cost of living adjustment(COLA) for next year’s budget will be “substantially” more than in previous years and that the same mechanism will remain in place. The Prime Minister said it was essential for the government to intervene and help those on the lower end of the economic spectrum. “The chances are that without a social safety net, those that were held back the most will take much longer to recover,” Abela said. He thanked the social partners for their recommendations for the next budget, saying that they showed great maturity and responsibility, and acknowledged the current international challenges. (Malta Today)
40 year old Maltese arrested in Sicily on drug trafficking charges
A 40-year-old Maltese man is under arrest in Sicily after being caught with almost 18kg of cannabis hidden inside a car he was driving. The suspect was stopped for a search as he was about to board a ferry to Malta from the port in Pozzallo. The search on his Maltese registered car yielded 143 packets of cannabis weighing a combined total of 17.74kg. (Newsbook)
Former Prime Minister and President Eddie Fenech Adami discharged from hospital
Former President and Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami left hospital on Saturday and has returned home. In a post on Facebook, his son, Beppe, thanked everyone for their support, solidarity and prayers. Eddie Fenech Adami had been hospitalised after he collapsed at his home in Friday morning, but was in stable condition at the hospital by that afternoon. He is now back home. (Malta Independent)
Morning Briefing
Lawyer renounces Degiorgio brief in Caruana Galizia murder case
Lawyer William Cuschieri has renounced the case of George and Alfred Degiorgio, the brothers accused of murdering Daphne Caruana Galizia. Recently, Cuschieri was reportedly seeking to negotiate a plea deal for his clients with prosecutors. The lawyer notified Judge Edwina Grima on Friday morning that he will no longer represent the Degiorgios. The judge will preside over their trial. (The Malta Independent)
Man shot in Dingli
A 49-year-old man is fighting for his life after he was shot outside his home in a rural area between Dingli and Rabat.
According to media reports, the victim, Noel Ciantar, is known for numerous challenges to private landowners and government entities to protect his property rights. He was shot in the back using a shotgun. Among well-known cases, Ciantar oppesed a plan by former Infrastructure Minister Ian Borg to build a swimming pool. (Times of Malta)
Fenech Adami hospitalised
Former prime minister and president Eddie Fenech Adami, 88, is in stable condition and being kept at Mater Dei Hospital’s cardiac ward after falling ill on Friday morning. Fenech Adami was admitted to Mater Dei Hospital on Friday after fainting at home, his son Nationalist MP Beppe Fenech Adami told MaltaToday. He was taken to hospital by ambulance. (Maltatoday)
