Updated 1745 – News Portal Review
TVM says 42 new Covid-19 cases were registered in Malta during the past 24 hours following 2,303 swab tests. 680 cases are presently active.
MaltaToday reports the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has described Malta as a country of “high concern” in the latest report on COVID-19 transmission in the EU.
Times of Malta says a pregnant victim of domestic abuse has been banned from travelling after her estranged partner claimed she plans to carry out an abortion, the Women’s Rights Foundation has said.
The Malta Independent reports Siemens Italia CEO Claudio Picech is expected to visit Malta on Monday to discuss the Electrogas plant, MaltaToday reports. Siemens is one of the shareholders of Electrogas.
Newsbook says the Union of Professional Educators – Voice of the Workers insisted that strict measures needed to be adhered to if the government is to forge ahead with its plans to reopen schools physically next week.
Updated 1233 – 42 new cases of coronavirus
The Health Department reported 42 new cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours, taking the tally to 680 active cases. The number of recoveries were 18.
Updated 1205 – Unemployment on the increase
In August, the number of persons registering for work stood at 3,672, increasing by 2,027 when compared to the corresponding month in 2019, the NSO said this morning.
Data provided by Jobsplus for August 2020 indicate a year-on-year increase of 1,849 persons registering under Part I and an additional 178 persons registering under Part II of the unemployment register. Registered unemployment levels increased across all age groups.
Updated 1055 – Two new deaths from Covid-19
A man and a woman who were resident in old people’s homes, have died after testing positive for COVID-19, the Health Ministry said.
The man aged 91 and the woman 73, both died last night. The number of victims now reaches 27.
Updated 0837- Newspaper Review
The Malta Business Weekly leads with a statement by the Gasan Group, denying any involvement in the alleged corruption in the Electrogas project. The business family said that it was ‘shocked’ by links drawn between the power station and the Caruana Galizia murder.
The Times quotes a statement by the Gasan group of companies which says the family is seeking to exit the Electrogas consortium because it wants to distance itself from the controversies surrounding the power station.
The Independent quotes a statement by Gasan Chairman and CEO, Joe Gasan, claiming that the group has not received any dividends on its investment in Electrogas. The family owns a third of a holding company, which itself holds a 33 percent stake in the project.
Business Today says that Farsons Group reported a 31 percent drop in revenues during the first six months of 2020, compared with the same period last year. The company’s financial analysis summary, meanwhile, is bracing for a challenging end to the year.
L-Orizzont speaks with Doroteja Tutorov, who suddenly found herself homeless after she lost her job in April. Tutorov, who first came to Malta four years ago, describes how she was taken in by a family and has since rebuilt her life.
In-Nazzjon says that negotiations collapsed between the Teachers’ Union and the Education Ministry. The two sides have been locked in discussions over the reopening of schools for several weeks.
The Independent speaks to Keith Schembri’s lawyer Edward Gatt who described the freezing order against his client’s family as draconian. Dr Gatt said that the arrest of the former chief of staff was nothing more than a PR stunt.
The Times reveals that Keith Schembri has been ordered to return into police custody in mid-October, but investigations into allegations of financial crimes are proceeding. The former chief of staff is out on bail after being arrested on Tuesday.
Business Today reports that an accountant has been fined €150,000 by the financial services watchdog and banned from introducing clients to investment firms for 10 years. The accountant had already been warned by the authority.
The Malta Business Weekly reports that the Malta Individual Investor Programme Agency has suspended Nexia BT’s licence, two days after the courts issued a freezing order. The company is owned by Brian Tonna who was this week arrested by the police.
In-Nazzjon quotes PN leader Adrian Delia who said that the courts confirmed that Malta ‘lost’ €250,000 daily to Vitals Global Healthcare when the company breached its contract and failed to invest in the three state hospitals.
L-Orizzont says that NGOs working with refugees are not satisfied with the immigration pact announced by the European Commission on Wednesday. They say that there has been no real change to ‘fortress Europe’.
Morning Briefing
Keith Schembri ordered to return to Police HQ in three weeks’ time
Former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri, who last Tuesday was arrested and later released on police bail on suspicion of bribery and money laundering, has been ordered to return to the police headquarters in mid-October, The Times of Malta reveals this morning.
According to the same paper sources’, the police are proceeding with their investigation into the financial crimes that he and a significant number of of other people allegedly committed.
Schembri’s lawyers, Edward Gatt, said that Schembri’s arrest was a PR stunt, arguing that one cannot be disproportionate with Keith Schembri just because of who he is.
Vitals contracted should be rescinded – PN
During yesterday’s session of the Court case institute by the Nationalist Party over the controversial hospitals privatisation contract, an auditor who sat on the evaluation and adjudication board confirmed that Vitals failed to adhere to most of its contractual agreements, Delia said.
The PN leader insisted that this deal should be terminated.
“In view of this, I have prepared a letter for the Health Minister, who has already expressed that he did not agree with this contract. I will inform him that we now have indisputable evidence that the contract should be terminated. I will invite him to associate himself with me in this fight to cancel this contract.”
Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne welcomed Adrian Delia at the Ministry but said on Facebook that he would pay no part in what he described as a stunt related to the Opposition’s in-fighting.
Covid-19 update – Malta
An 84-year-old male coronavirus patient is the 25th COVID-19 patient in Malta to lose his life since the onset of the pandemic, the Health Ministry reported. The country yesterday reported 42 new cases of coronavirus.
Meanwhile, Maltatoday reports that almost half of the elderly residents at the St Joseph Home in Fgura have tested positive for COVID-19.
113 residents from the 278 who currently live in the home (41%) tested positive for COVID-19.
CDE News
