Updated 1300
Explosives team called in after ‘small device’ found outside PL HQ
This morning at around 8am, an explosives team was called to the Labour Party headquarters in Ħamrun after security spotted a small device outside. Neighbours reported hearing a small explosion in a dustbin around 2am. The building was evacuated, and a large police contingent has closed the road. PL president Ramona Attard confirmed the explosion and evacuation, urging calmness as the bomb squad investigates. Prime Minister Robert Abela echoed this on Facebook. Bernard Grech and the Nationalist Party expressed solidarity with the PL, condemning the act and calling for those responsible to be caught. The PN also requested police to check their headquarters for potential threats. (Times of Malta)
Skills Pass tax credit for employers who want to retain non-EU workers
Tourism and hospitality employers can now apply for a subsidy covering up to 50% of the €475 Skills Pass card fee for non-EU workers in hotels, bars, and restaurants. As of this month, the Skills Pass is mandatory. Launched by Malta Enterprise and the Institute of Tourism Studies (ITS), the Skills Pass Support scheme aims to make the card more accessible to employees in this high-demand sector. The subsidy is provided as a tax credit for employers. An information session will be held on June 4 to explain the application process and benefits. The Skills Pass includes mandatory online courses in English, customer care, and hospitality, and requires approval from Jobsplus and the police for a one-year work permit. By January 2025, all tourism workers in Malta must have the Skills Pass to renew their work permits, expanding to EU and Maltese workers by 2026.
Gafà brushes off his absence, lack of barricades at Muscat arraignment
The Malta Police Force defended Commissioner Angelo Gafà’s absence during former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s arraignment, citing his strategic role. Critics lamented Gafà and Attorney General Victoria Buttigieg’s absence, contrasting it with past commissioners who led high-profile cases. Meanwhile, the lack of barricades outside the courthouse raised concerns. Critics accused Gafà of jeopardising safety and questioned police accountability in investigating corruption allegations. Despite positive comments, tensions persist between law enforcement and demands for accountability. Critics suspect deliberate avoidance of further questioning in the hospitals privatisation scandal.
Morning Briefing
GDP grows 4.6% in Q1
Provisional estimates indicate that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the first quarter of 2024 amounted to €4.9 billion, registering an increase of €380.9 million, or 8.4 per cent, when compared to the same quarter of 2023. In volume terms, GDP rose by 4.6 per cent, the NSO said. Among the key sectors driving growth, the NSO noted financial and insurance activities (5.8 per cent), real estate activities (6.7 per cent) and professional, scientific and technical activities (5.0 per cent). Domestic demand had a positive contribution of 1.1 percentage points to the year-on-year GDP growth rate in volume terms. External demand also registered a positive contribution of 3.5 percentage points. (The Malta Independent)
Justice Minister laments ‘gagging order’ on Vitals case
The prosecution’s request to impose a ‘gagging order’ in the Vitals corruption case was “disproportionate,” according to Justice Minister Jonathan Attard. In a statement issued today, the Justice Minister expressed concerns over a recent court directive limiting public comments on the pending criminal case. “I believe the prosecution’s request for what has been publicly described as a ‘gagging order’ against the accused was disproportionate,” he said. He also noted that the order was particularly disproportionate given the context of repeated leaks and multiple judges condemning such actions. The magistrate’s directive, which calls for restraint in commenting on ongoing cases to ensure the proper administration of justice, aligns with fundamental justice principles, the minister added. (Maltatoday)
Repubblika decries AG, Police Commissioner absence from Courts
Attorney General Victoria Buttigieg and Police Commissioner Angelo Gafà are undermining the hospitals court case with their absence, Repubblika Honorary President Robert Aquilina said Wednesday. He noted that neither party attended the court on both arraignment dates, Tuesday and Wednesday. Aquilina claimed that both are compromised and serve as “the biggest insurance for the biggest political criminals in our country.” When asked by journalists in Valletta about the prosecutors’ performance, Aquilina highlighted that former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and others were charged on Tuesday, and Central Bank governor and former Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne on Wednesday, following a magisterial inquiry into the privatization of three public hospitals. Aquilina pointed out that in other significant but lesser cases, both the AG and the Police Commissioner were present to guide the prosecution. This time, they chose not to attend. (The Malta Independent)
