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Food prices keep inflation above EU average
In December, Malta experienced an inflation rate of 3.7%, a slight decrease from November’s 3.9%. Despite the decline, it remains higher than the EU and Eurozone averages. The Euro area saw an increase in inflation from 2.4% to 2.9% in December, while
the European Union’s annual inflation rose from 3.1% to 3.4%. The National Statistics Office attributes Malta’s inflation to upward pressure from food prices, with the highest rates observed in Food and non-alcoholic beverages at 9.5%. The main contributors to the inflation were the Food and nonalcoholic beverages Index, primarily due to higher vegetable prices, followed by the Restaurants and hotels Index and the Housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels Index, influenced by increased
costs in restaurant services and rents, respectively.
Labour approves former Project Green CEO as EP election candidate: The Labour Party has given its endorsement to Steve Ellul, a former CEO of Project Green, to run as a candidate in the upcoming European Parliament elections in June. Currently working as a financial analyst and lecturer at the University of Malta, Ellul has a background in a senior role at the Bank of Valletta. With several years of involvement in the Labour Party, he spearheaded a group that contributed economic proposals during the 100 Ideas process conducted by the party in preparation for the general election. Water cremation could soon be a reality in Malta: A water cremation facility may become a reality in Malta as Kate and Jeremy Muscat apply to construct a resomation centre in Żabbar. The couple, who co-own the land adjacent to the Żabbar cemetery, anticipate approval from the Planning Authority
soon. The proposed aquamation facility, also known as alkaline hydrolysis or water cremation, is considered environmentally friendly compared to traditional cremation. Kate Muscat, a former biomedical scientist with a family history in funerary services, explained that aquamation accelerates the decomposition process from 20 years to approximately four hours. The couple aims to have the
facility operational within two years pending approval.
Morning Briefing
Traffic policemen cleared by court of overtime racket
Two sergeants from the police traffic section, Matthew Azzopardi, 45, and Francis Larry Sciberras, 55, who were accused of involvement in an overtime racket during the Marsa flyover project, have been acquitted of all criminal charges. In July 2020, Azzopardi and Sciberras were charged with complicity in a racket allegedly resulting in unlawful gains to the detriment of the police corps, Infrastructure Malta, and/or Transport Malta. The charges included the accusation of receiving approximately €5,000 in unaccounted-for extra duty payments. Throughout the legal process, both Azzopardi and Sciberras consistently maintained their innocence. (Times of Malta)
Family of man fatally tasered in 2020 demand compensation from police, doctors
The relatives of a man who passed away following a police tasering incident have initiated legal proceedings against the Police Commissioner and the government’s Principal Medical Officer. They are seeking civil damages, alleging negligence, lack of skill, and non-compliance with regulations on the part of the officers and medical professionals involved in the tragic event.
Ronnie Ghiller, aged 48, suffered a fatal heart attack in May 2020 while being restrained by law enforcement officers who were responding to a disturbance near his residence in Żabbar. (Maltatoday)
Exclude persons accused of corruption from restrictions on freezing orders
The Nationalist Party said it was to propose amendments in parliament, aiming to exclude individuals accused of corruption from the scope of a bill designed to restrict freezing orders in financial crime cases. Currently, individuals accused of financial crimes can face extensive asset freezes imposed by the court. However, the bill introduced in November seeks to limit frozen assets to the suspected amount of defrauded funds. The PN insisted that the proposed legislation should exclude individuals accused of corruption, similar to the exemption for those facing charges of drug trafficking. The Opposition’s second proposed amendment would require the accused to demonstrate that funds released by the courts were not derived from criminal activities. (The Malta Independent)
