Updated 1515
Elderly man dies in garage accident
A 77-year-old man has lost his life after he was caught beneath a vehicle in a garage in Gudja while carrying out some works. Police told the media in a presser onsite that the incident was reported at 12.15pm on Triq Raymond Caruana. Although a medical team and CPD officers rushed to assist the man, he was pronounced dead on site.
Updated 1215
AG seeks retrial in Msida police station ‘rape’ case: The Attorney General has made a request for a new trial in the case of a police constable who was acquitted of raping a female colleague at the Msida police station. In an appeal, the Attorney General urged the court to reverse the decision of the trial judge who deemed the accused’s confession to the rape as inadmissible evidence. The 33-year-old police constable was cleared of the rape charge in March, but he was found guilty of harassing another woman, a teenage recruit. Due to a court order, the policeman’s identity remains undisclosed, and he received a suspended prison sentence of one year, valid for two years. The Attorney General has now lodged an appeal, seeking the acceptance of the confession as evidence and requesting a new trial to be ordered. (Times of Malta)
PM Abela to meet Libyan PM today: Prime Minister Robert Abela is scheduled to meet with Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah today in Tripoli. The focus of the meeting will be enhancing cooperation between the two countries in the energy sector. The meeting follows the Med9 energy summit, where it was emphasised that the Mediterranean has the potential to become a hub for renewable energy, with collaborative projects involving North African and European countries. The talks between Dr. Abela and Dbeibah will mark their fourth bilateral meeting and are expected to cover topics such as immigration and the economy. (TVM)
PN’s Grech urges Government to establish environment as a constitutional right: Opposition leader Bernard Grech urged the government to back a private members’ bill which aims to establish the environment as a constitutional right. During a parliamentary session, Grech highlighted the significance of recognising the environment as a fundamental right in the constitution, empowering citizens to legally protect and act as custodians of the environment. Emphasising that the environment impacts every individual and community, Grech underscored the importance of collaborative decision-making and collective efforts to preserve it. He insisted that choices made today would shape the future for the country’s youth and future generations. (Maltatoday)
Morning Briefing
MFSA rejects a quarter of applications in 2022
According to the annual report of the Maltese Financial Services Authority, the number of individuals employed in the financial services sector in Malta surpassed 17,000 in the previous year, indicating a significant growth of 26% compared to the year prior. The report further highlights a 4.3% rise in the sector’s contribution to the Maltese economy, resulting in a Gross Value Added of €1.178 billion. During the same period, the authority received a total of 355 applications across various sectors. However, it is worth noting that 24% of these applications were either withdrawn or rejected. (Newsbook)
Bernice Cassar expressed fear for her life the night before being murdered
A day before her tragic murder, Bernice Cassar, a mother-of-two, expressed her fear to her cousin, confiding that she hoped the police would arrest her husband, who had completely lost control. The next morning, on November 22, Roderick Cassar, her estranged husband, shot her outside her workplace at the Corradino Industrial Estate. Their relationship had been marked by months of domestic turmoil, leading Bernice to move out of their shared home a few months earlier. During the ongoing murder compilation of evidence, further details surrounding the events preceding the murder were revealed as one of the victim’s cousins took the witness stand in court. Roderick Cassar now faces charges of wilful murder and is the first individual to be prosecuted under the femicide amendment to the Criminal Code. His defense lawyers are currently challenging the constitutionality of this amendment in separate proceedings, arguing that the femicide aggravating factor violates the accused’s fundamental rights. (Times of Malta)
Greens see high voter abstention as opportunity
ADPD’s newly-elected chairperson, Sandra Gauci, sees the increasing abstention rate in general elections as an opportunity for the party to enhance its performance in future elections. During an interview on TVM’s Xtra, Gauci highlighted that nearly 70,000 people did not vote in the last election, and this number is growing according to surveys. She characterized this as a historic moment, emphasizing that the party is witnessing a departure from the conventional political landscape. Gauci expressed optimism about the evolving political dynamics and the future of her party. (Maltatoday)
