Updated 1330: Covid-19 update
The Health Department reported 79 new cases of coronavirus in the previous 24 hours, with 144 recovering. The number of active cases has reached 2,545. 2,944 swab tests were carried out in the past 24 hours.
Meanwhile, the number of deaths linked to Covid-19 has reached 273. 31,633 vaccine doses were administered until yesterday, of which 5,410 were 2nd doses.
Townsquare builders crash into neighbouring property
Residents in an apartment block in Sliema are living in fear as an ongoing construction project has repeatedly crashed into their property.
A 77-year-old woman found a gaping hole in her garage wall on Monday.
This was caused by a digger excavating the site. The construction works are related to the Townsquare development in the heart of Sliema. When completed, these will include 159 apartments, retail areas, restaurants, offices and underground parking.
She and other residents, many of whom are older people shielding at home against COVID-19, are riddled with anxiety about their safety, she said.
Contractors for major construction firm Polidano recently dug right into garages underneath the apartments and workers had previously crashed into the complex under their homes.
Project CEO Peter Diacono said that the incident occurred because the contractor failed to adhere to agreed instructions. “We immediately issued a stop works notice and an inspection was carried out. The site technical officer has drawn up an incident report, which has already
been submitted to the building and construction agency,” he said.
Updated 0830 – Newspaper Review
The Malta Business Weekly speaks with Business 1st CEO Marika Tonna who said that three-fourths of business enquiries in the past months were related to Covid-19 and the wage supplement scheme.
Business Today leads with a survey by the Chamber of SMEs which finds that four in ten businesses may not survive the next six months if the economic situation does not recover. Just 13 percent of business owners believe things will be ‘back to normal’ by summer.
The Independent quotes Melvin Theuma in the compilation of evidence against the three alleged hitmen in the Caruana Galizia murder. The middleman said that Yorgen Fenech received information about the investigation from then chief of staff Keith Schembri.
The Times follows the testimony in court of self-confessed middleman Melvin Theuma who said businessman Yorgen Fenech had told former chief of staff Keith Schembri that he had no alternative but murder Daphne Caruana Galizia.
L-Orizzont reports that Melvin Theuma returned on the witness stand on Wednesday for the first time since July. He told the court that he carries “a remorse so great” for his involvement in the assassination that no professional can take it away.
In-Nazzjon follows the compilation of evidence against the alleged hitmen in the Caruana Galizia murder. Witness Melvin Theuma said he was convinced that Yorgen Fenech was the mastermind behind the killing.
The Independent speaks to PN Leader Bernard Grech about a complaint filed against PBS over an interview on the state broadcaster. Grech said that journalists have a right to ask questions but insisted that politicians must be treated equally.
The Times reports that the police investigated a former Xagħra archpriest over allegations of sexually abusing a teenage boy, but no criminal steps were taken because the case was time-barred. Mgr Eucharist Sultana has since been banned from the priestly office.
In-Nazzjon reports on a visit by PN Leader Bernard Grech to the General Auditor. Grech said that the National Audit Office is instrumental to the country’s democracy and said that the law needs to be revised to strengthen the Auditor’s role.
L-Orizzont publishes an interview with the daughter of former Dockyard Council Director Lino Gatt on the 26th anniversary of the Um El Faroud tragedy which killed nine workers. Marika Camilleri said that every death at the drydocks was a hit to the heart for her father.
Morning Briefing
Konrad Mizzi interrogated
Former government minister Konrad Mizzi was interrogated by the police’s financial crime investigation unit for about 90 minutes yesterday. It is expected that former Chief of Staff Keith Schembri will follow today. In his only comment to journalists, Mizzi said “We always collaborate with whatever questions are asked, and that’s about it”.
No information was available in the nature of the interrogation but both men were called in late last year to be questioned in relation to chats linked to businessman Yorgen Fenech, who currently stands accused of masterminding the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
It has been reported that the authorities are looking into communications between the pair and Fenech, as part of a wider investigation into financial crime.
Middleman speaks of Fenech-Schembri links in Caruana Galizia murder
Another tense sitting dominated the scene during the compilation of evidence against murder suspects George Degiorgio, Alfred Degiorgio and Vince Muscat , with Melvin Theuma testifying that the alleged mastermind told Keith Schembri that he had “no other way” other than killing Daphne Caruana Galizia.
The self-confessed middleman added that it was Fenech who shared with him this conversation. “Yorgen told me that he told him that he (Fenech) had reason to worry, because he was the mastermind,” Theuma testified.
Theuma also told the court that on 13 November 2019, six days before Fenech was stopped by the army from leaving Malta on his yacht, Fenech instructed him to delete all correspondence between them.
Covid-19 Update
Malta registered 138 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday following 2,937 swab tests were carried out over the past 24 hours. The health authorities announced that three more people have lost their lives due to COVID-19 bringing the number of coronavirus victims up to 273.
Also, 190 individuals have made a recovery which means there are 2,610 active cases.
To date, the health authorities have administered 30,252 doses of the vaccine of which 4,891 individuals received their second dose. Separately, in an interview on local media, Health Supertintendent Prof Charmaine Gauci said that Malta has detected 12 new cases of the new COVID variant that has been traced to the UK, taking the tally to 15.
CDE News
