Updated 1235
Covid-19 Update: Five new cases were reported on Wednesday. With no persons recovering for the third consecutive day, active cases now stand at 45. More than 320,000 persons are now fully vaccinated.
Degiorgios seek Europol meeting: George and Alfred Degiorgio, who stand accused of assassinating Daphne Caruana Galizia, have requested a meeting with the EU’s law enforcement agency. In a letter to Europol’s deputy executive director Will Van Gemert requesting a sit-down meeting to ensure “justice in Malta is served evenly and not selectively”. The Degiorgios have been arguing that Maltese authorities do not want to hear them due to them offering information on the alleged involvement of former economy minister Chris Cardona in the 2017 murder as well as the involvement of OPM Minister Carmelo Abela in “serious crimes”, including “complicity in armed robbery”.
Updated 0830 – Newspaper Review
Malta Today speaks with Police Commissioner Angelo Gafà who said that the force did well in the FATF assessment. Acknowledging room for improvement, the Commissioner noted that the Police are part of a larger structure.
The Independent reports that Malta received just under 2,500 asylum applications in 2020, 39 per cent fewer than the year before. A report by the European Asylum Support Office, however, showed that pending cases increased by a fifth over the same period.
The Times says that murder suspects Alfred and George Degiorgio have requested a meeting with Europol senior officers. The brothers were directed to the EU’s law enforcement agency by EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reyders.
L-Orizzont reports that a man with an arrest warrant for skipping on maintenance to his wife and children did not turn up in court on Monday. The police said that they were unable to locate him.
In-Nazzjon says the PN Leader Bernard Grech is holding an urgent meeting with the council of economic and social development to discuss the FATF greylisting. Grech said that politicians and social partners need to work together to overcome the challenge.
Malta Today says that a report by the FATF lists illicit waste disposal among the environmental crimes engaged in by money launderers. It warned that crime syndicates are often involved in waste trafficking to recycle their ill-gotten cash.
The Independent publishes an interview with the new chairman of the media literacy board, Alexander Farrugia, who warned that overly partisan messages by politicians are having less impact on the electorate.
The Times reports that the government asked the Naxxar local council to carry out an impact assessment of a proposed bye-law to prevent caravans and campers from parking permanently along the Coast Road. The mayor said the issue has become urgent.
L-Orizzont leads with a United Nations report raising concerns about trafficking of migrants in West and North Africa. The document describes how victims are often subjected to extreme violence, torture, rape, and kidnapping.
In-Nazzjon says that Prime Minister Robert Abela has not responded to the challenge by the Opposition Leader to denounce his predecessor, Joseph Muscat. Bernard Grech said in parliament that Muscat’s actions cast a long shadow over Malta.
Morning Briefing
Asylum reports drop in 2020
Malta has received 39% less applications for asylum in 2020, when compared to 2019, a report by the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) has shown. However, pending cases have increased by 21%. The report shows how 2,480 asylum applications were received in 2020, whilst a total of 4,090 asylum applications were received in 2019. In the year 2018, 2,130 applications were received. A total of 484,670 asylum applications were reported across the EU in 2020 – down by 32% when compared to the 716,115 in 2019, affected by limited mobility and travel, rather than a decrease in the number of people in need of international protection.
PN leader to meet MCESD today
Opposition and PN leader Bernard Grech will be addressing social partners in the wake of theFinancial Action Task Force (FATF) decision to place Malta on the grey list. The meeting follows a request that Dr Grech made in a letter to MCESD chairman James Pearsall.
Grech argued that only an informed and inclusive discussion may start the way forward so that Malta will again find its place in the white list of jurisdictions who merit the confidence of international investors. He added that the Opposition is ready to respond to this historic challenge which, he said, may threaten thousands of jobs and businesses in Malta if it is not treated seriously.
Covid-19 Update
For the second day running, six new cases of Covid-19 were reported on Tuesday, a public holiday, while no new recoveries were recorded.
The number of active cases currently stands at 40, after having gone down to below 30 last weekend. In total, 659,488 doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered, 357,171 of which were first doses. 315,768 people are now fully vaccinated.
CDE News
