Malta supports UN resolution condemning Russia’s illegal annexation / Malta News Briefing – Thursday 13 October 2022

Updated 1230

Malta supports UN resolution condemning Russia’s illegal annexation: Malta has voted in favour of a UN resolution which condemned Russia’s attempts to annex four regions of Ukraine. It joined 143 countries in doing so, while 35 states – including China and India – abstained. Belarus, North Korea, Syria and Nicaragua joined Russia in opposing the resolution. The UN resolution condemned Russia’s annexation of the four eastern Ukrainian regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson after self-proclaimed referendums in the areas that were denounced as a “sham” by the international community.

Migrant beaten to unconsciousness, Court hears: The three police officers accused of kidnapping and beating foreign nationals have allegedly beaten one of their victims so hard that he lost consciousness. Luca Brincat (20) from Qormi, Rica Mifsud Grech (22) from Floriana, and Jurgen Falzon (24) from Sta Venera – deny the charges. The allegations arose from a complaint lodged with the police internal affairs unit by those who worked on the same shift as the accused. An officer who testified to the magisterial inquiry said that he was present several times when the three accused would look for migrants sleeping outside and apply taser and pepper spray against them.

Prison director to be charged in court over alleged gun incident: The director of the Corradino Correctional Facility, Robert Brincau, is to be arraigned in court after allegedly pointing a gun at a man in Għadira bay last August. According to media reports, despite facing criminal prosecution, a spokesperson for the home affairs ministry on Wednesday stood by Brincau, saying that he was not expected to suspend himself or resign despite facing criminal charges in court.

Morning Briefing

Liberalisation on the cards for Gozo-Malta transport

Government is set to completely liberalise the transport of passengers and goods between Malta and Gozo. After having opened the fast ferry service to private operators, Prime Minister Robert Abela has revealed that a public tender will be issued for the operation of the ferry service currently run by the government-owned Gozo Channel. Abela reassured that the public tender will not be tailor-made to favour private companies, insisting that “this government doesn’t play such games.” Gozo Channel will be allowed to bid for this tender. (Newsbook)

PN MP exposes email alleging bribery on Marsa flyover project

Nationalist MP Karol Aquilina has revealed an email sent by Turkish billionaire Robert Yildirim to Daphne Caruana Galizia murder suspect Yorgen Fenech in January 2019. He presented the email to the Permanent Commission Against Corruption. The case revolves around potential corruption in a €40 million Marsa Junction flyover contract. In this email, Yildirim has insinuated that Fenech may have been “bribing” to ensure a specific company to win the tender.
Ayhanlar, a Turkish contractor, eventually did win the 2018 tender to build the flyover, but ran in financial trouble soon after, forcing Government to bring in Yildirim. (Times of Malta)

NCPE concerned on police abuse

The equality commission has expressed “serious concern” after police officers were charged with abducting and assaulting foreign nationals. The NCPE said that the alleged victims appear to have been chosen on the basis of their skin colour and nationality, insisting that all cases of racism, discrimination and intolerance are an affront to a democratic society and should be treated with the utmost seriousness. It did however commend the force for taking immediate action after being alerted on the abuse. (Maltatoday)