Updated 1645 – Newsportal Review
The Times of Malta reports that an anonymous but “reliable” source had informed the police about an argument that escalated into a knife fight between two groups resulting in the murder of Joseff Rivas in Paceville.
Maltatoday says that the Gozitan man who was found dead in Għasri on 30 January died as a result of natural causes, police said today.
The Malta Independent quotes the Nationalist Party which said that the country’s institutions had remained silent after testimony in court implicated former Minister Chris Cardona “in the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia”.
Newsbook follows the announcement, by Health Minister Chris Fearne of the first ever palliative care strategy.
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AML Regulator imposes hefty fine on APS Bank
APS Bank has been fined an administrative penalty of €228,706 by the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit, over breaches of the Maltese prevention of money laundering rules. In a statement, the bank, of which the Church is a shareholder, said the FIAU findings refer to legacy matters, and was satisfied that the outcome reflects the significant remediation that took place over the past years. APS will not be appealing the fine. The FIAU said it acknowledged the APS’s ongoing commitment towards enhancing and updating its AML/CFT systems and processes, and praised the dedication displayed by the bank’s top management in their fight against ML/FT. (Maltatoday)
BNF, Alf Mizzi win case against former More Supermarkets boss
A bank and a company this week won court cases to receive a total of almost €650,000 they were owed from More Supermarkets and its former boss Ryan Schembri, though other creditors are still chasing for their dues. The court ordered Schembri and More Supermarkets to pay BNF Bank and foodstuffs importer Alf. Mizzi and Sons the money they were owed. Schembri is separately facing criminal proceedings over money laundering and fraud. (Times of Malta)
PN laments PBS decision not to report drop in corruption ranking
The Nationalist Party said it is shameful that the national station, PBS, did not report the publication of a Corruption Perception Index by Transparency International which found that Malta has registered its worst score ever.The PN sent a letter of complaint to the Broadcasting Authority on the matter, signed by its spokesman for public broadcasting Graham Bencini. (The Malta Independent)
Morning Briefing
PM rules out public inquiry on Jean Paul Sofia’s death
Prime Minister Robert Abela appeared to rule out a public inquiry on the death of Jean Paul Sofia who tragically lost his life in a construction industry. Replying to a parliamentary question by PN MP Jerome Caruana Cilia he argued that there was an ongoing magisterial inquiry by the inquiring magistrate as well as investigations by other relevant authorities. “If we really want justice, the work of these institutions should be allowed to be done in serenity. At the same time, I want to appeal to them to give maximum importance to this case, so that justice is done fast with the victim’s family, first and foremost, and with society,” Abela said. (Times of Malta)
Scheme to protect bees and eliminate hornets launched
New help is expected to address the presence of foreign invasive bees which besides endangering Malta’s ethnic bees and their food chain are also dangerous to humans. During a media conference at Għammieri, the Director of the Agriculture, Marco Dimech, explained that after consultation with experts from other countries in the Mediterranean, the new schemes were devised to support breeders of bee colonies. (TVM)
Man walks free after wife refuses to testify
A 42-year-old plasterer had charges against him dropped after his wife refused to testify against him. The man had been charged after he allegedly held a knife to the woman’s throat during a domestic dispute. The man was arraigned in January after the Libyan couple who live in Birkirkara, had a fight on Sunday afternoon, in which the man allegedly held a knife to the woman’s throat. (Newsbook)