Updated 1830
Magisterial inquiry into death of Jean-Paul Sofia concluded and delivered to AG
The magisterial inquiry into the death of construction victim Jean-Paul Sofia has been concluded and delivered to the attorney general and police on Friday, the prime minister announced. Robert Abela said he intends to ask the attorney general to make the findings public as soon as possible.”We only want justice to be done with everybody,” Abela told reporters at Auberge de Castille.
“Our call is for justice to be served,” Abela said, who however said he previously had not wanted the public inquiry to interfere with the ongoing magisterial inquiry. “As we can see, the accused in another involuntary homicide case have tried staying their criminal proceedings by using the announced public inquiry as an excuse,” he said.
Updated 1230
Former Enemalta financial controller’s acquittal confirmed by appeals court
A court of appeal has upheld the acquittal of former Enemalta financial controller Tarcisio Mifsud, who was accused of accepting bribes in an oil procurement scandal over a decade ago. In December, Mifsud was declared innocent of all charges by a Magistrates’ Court. However, the Attorney General appealed this decision, contending that the initial court had disregarded the testimony of the prosecution’s main witness, George Farrugia. Farrugia, a local agent representing the oil companies involved in the alleged corruption, was granted a pardon in February 2013. His pardon was conditional on revealing the full truth and repaying any gains he acquired from these illegal activities. The Attorney General’s appeal also argued that the
first court had inaccurately evaluated the presented evidence, which, according to them, should have resulted in a conviction on all counts. (Times of Malta)
PN demands AG resignation, accuses her of breaching Code of Ethics
The Nationalist Party has asked for the resignation of the Attorney General, Victoria Buttigieg, accusing her of breaching the code of ethics. The allegation stems from her sharing of information related to the magisterial inquiry into Jean Paul Sofia’s death with the Prime Minister and the justice minister. On Wednesday, the Nationalist Party called for an investigation by the Standards Commissioner to look into statements made by Prime Minister Robert Abela and justice minister Jonathan Attard. These statements concerned their knowledge of Magistrate Marse-Anne Farrugia’s request for an extension to her ongoing inquiry into the death of Jean Paul Sofia. In a statement on Friday, Karol Aquilina, the Opposition’s Spokesperson for Justice, pointed out Article 1 (6) of the Codes of Ethics published on the Attorney General’s website, which clearly states that advocates within the Attorney General’s office are bound to maintain confidentiality regarding information and documents.
Red warning as temperature to reach 43°C
The Malta International Airport’s Meteorological Office has issued a red warning to alert the public about today’s weather conditions. The highest temperature forecasted is 41°C, but due to the heatwave persisting in Malta and Southern Europe, it will feel like 43°C. Meanwhile, thousands spent another night of sweltering heat as power went out across several localities in what appears to be a never-ending heatwave. Parts of Senglea, Birkirkara, San Ġwann, Rabat, Dingli, Kalkara, Vittoriosa, Cospicua, Żabbar and Marsascala faced another night in the dark as the power went out. (Newsbook)
Morning Briefing
No guarantee that powercuts are over – Enemalta CEO
Enemalta CEO Jonathan Cardona saidy that due to the ongoing heatwave over Malta, the company cannot assure an absence of further power cuts. He mentioned that efforts were being made to restore electricity. However, the relentless heat was leading to multiple faults in underground cables. Cardona added that the situation in Żurrieq and nearby areas was more complex as the works aimed at minimizing downtime during faults were still two days away from completion. During a press briefing on that the prolonged and intense heat was exposing defects in underground cables, causing challenges in maintaining a stable power supply. (Maltatoday)
Muscat’s house search based on evidence of potential involvement in corruption
Superintendent Superintendent James Grech revealed in Court that the police search at Joseph Muscat’s home in January of the previous year was based on a magistrate’s decree stating there was sufficient evidence suggesting Muscat’s potential involvement in money laundering and corruption. This information came to light as part of constitutional proceedings initiated by the former prime minister, Joseph Muscat. He is seeking the removal of Magistrate Gabriella Vella from the inquiry into the Vitals hospital contract. Muscat contends that his fundamental rights will be violated if Magistrate Vella continues to oversee the inquiry, particularly after she deemed Facebook posts uploaded by her father and brother about the Vitals controversy as “free speech.” (Times of Malta)
Man dies after falling three stories in attempt to enter his own home
A 48-year-old man tragically died after falling from a height while trying to gain entry into his own home in Fgura. The incident occurred Thursday afternoon. According to the police report, the man accidentally locked himself out on the roof and attempted to access his home through the balcony. Unfortunately, he fell from a three-story height during the attempt. Despite prompt medical assistance, he was pronounced dead at the scene. (Newsbook)
