Latest Update- News Portal Briefing
Times of Malta says that a man wanted in the US to face charges of fraud and money laundering of $50 million has been arrested in Malta.
MaltaToday reports that the compilation of evidence in the money laundering case against Josette Schembri Vella, former OPM Chief of Staff Keith Schembri’s wife, stalled this morning after one of the prosecuting inspectors was abroad.
Newsbook reports the police has confiscated some 300 wild finches from a property in Gozo following a joint operation by the Gozo Police and the Wild Birds Regulation Unit (WBRU) officers.
TVM says that Prime Minister Robert Abela met with the representatives of the General Workers Unions (GWU) to continue to listen to ideas and proposals in preparation of the country’s budget for the year 2022.
Updated 1240 Mid-Day Briefing
Covid-19 Update: 13 new cases of coronavirus were reported on Monday, while 43 recovered, lowering the active case tally to 391. 17 patients remain in hospital, four of whom in ITU.
Government was unprepared for school re-opening, MUT argues: The Malta Union of Teachers has lambasted the Education Ministry as thousands of children returned to class today, saying the latter was not being prepared after specialised educators were deployed to fill in a teacher shortage just days before schools reopened. Meanwhile, the Education Ministry has filed an application in court for a warrant seeking an injuction against the Malta Union of Teachers to stop industrial action by educators. Some 150 support teachers are understood to have been deployed to primary school classes on the eve of the start of the school year. “We are going to respect the decision of the court but rest assured that we will respond and we will fight this issue as we have done on other occasions,” MUT president Marco Bonnici said this morning.
Government commits to race-track in Hal Far: Government has promised the building of a race-track of international standards at Hal-Far. Speaking at a Cabinet meeting held at the Ta’ Qali basketball pavilion, which focused on Malta’s sport strategy, PM Robert Abela said that €20 million will be invested in the project. “We want to go for something professional, without causing inconvenience to residents. The track will be built in Hal Far in a zone which is already used for such sport,” he said, insisting that no ODZ land will be taken up by the project.
Updated 0850 Newspaper Review
The Times reports that the police have opened an investigation into late notary Ivan Barbara following claims of fraud and misappropriation by clients. The notary died suddenly in April after contracting Covid-19 in India.
In-Nazzjon leads with a PN proposal to extend parental leave to fathers, with a minimum period that coincides with that of the mother in the first weeks after birth. PN Leader Bernard Grech said the party will announce new policy ideas that support families.
The Independent says that the Planning Authority Board is set to discuss an application for the conversion of a disused quarry in l-Aħrax into an off-roading site. The project is not recommended favourably by the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage.
L-Orizzont reports that a PN local councillor in Mqabba has resigned from the party but stayed on as an independent member. Jonathan Dingli said that he did not see the change he expected in the party.
The Times picks up a Facebook post by former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat saying that he is not worried about any further investigation into offshore company Egrant. Muscat was reacting to news that an inquiry recommended a probe into the once-secret structure.
The Independent quotes a social media message by Joseph Muscat declaring that neither he nor anyone in his family has any connection to Panamian company Egrant and said that any fresh investigation would come to the same conclusion of the magisterial inquiry.
L-Orizzont follows an address by Prime Minister Robert Abela announcing support measures of up to €400 for couples with low income. Abela said that the government is committed to building on a strong economy to improve people’s lives.
In-Nazzjon quotes a statement by the union of teachers claiming that 150 classrooms remain without teachers. The union criticised the redeployment of educators ahead of the new scholastic year, describing it as the worst exercise in the last ten years.
Morning Briefing
Former PM Muscat welcomes calls for deeper Egrant probe
Former PM Joseph Muscat took again to social media to insist that he has nothing to hide from investigators looking to probe Egrant further. He was reacting to a report which called for further investigative steps be taken with regards to the elusive Panama company Egrant.
Muscat said that “neither myself, nor my wife or family have anything to do with Egrant or with any transaction, as already concluded by an independent inquiry,” he wrote. “Someone made us go through hell based on forged signatures, and we were proved right.” Egrant was set up by Nexia BT shortly after the 2013 election.
PM focuses on economy, finance in Sunday speech
Speaking on Sunday, PM Robert Abela dedicated large parts of his address to Labour supporters defending his Government’s economic and financial record, saying that in August the Government registered the highest financial income in history for this month: 180 million euro more than last year and 53 million euro more than for the August prior to the start of the pandemic. On the economy, Abela argued that the vouchers led to an increase in private consumption to pre-pandemic levels, adding that this record income indicates also that unemployment has dropped to its lowest rate in history. The Prime Minister also highlighted the success of the new issuance of government’s 62+ Savings Bond.
“Such schemes are from a government with a progressive economics policy, which we did not have under a PN administration. Just like they didn’t used to dream of increasing pensions like we do year on year.”
Family-friendly measures on top of PN priorities – Grech
PN leader Bernard Grech promised that a new PN Government would support family-friendly measures, particularly by extending paternity leave so that fathers could support the mother in the first weeks of childbirth. Grech argued that the PN is not afraid to take action against those who have damaged the country. Like his counterpart, Grech dedicated ample time to economic proposals: “Unlike the PL, we trust and believe that our SMEs work and invest legally and sacrifice a lot of time and money. We want to encourage more of this,” said Grech, recalling his party’s pledge to increasing the salary for education sector employees, enabling farmers to buy their own land and increasing the VAT-exempt ceiling to €60,000 amongst others.
Covid-19 Update
13 new Covid-19 cases have been registered by the health authorities. 35 have made a recovery. This brings the number of active cases to 421. 18 are receiving treatment in hospital, with 4 in intensive care.
