1745- Latest News update
Times of Malta says The owner of a pitbull who is currently accused of involuntary homicide after his dogs mauled his elderly grandmother to death at her Msida home, has been cleared over separate charges of animal cruelty.
MaltaToday says Malta’s indebted political parties owe amounts that are tenfold the budget of a political party in the Netherlands, a senior MEP has said, raising concern over the issue.
Newsbook says “It is absurd that Malta does not have anti-mafia magistrates,” Italian MEP Franco Roberti said on Wednesday.
TVM says Prime Minister Robert Abela has visited the new Classic Design Woodworks company’s factory, set up with an investment of 1.2 million euro, at the Bulebel industrial zone.
Updated 1230 – Mid-Day Briefing
Fisheries Parl Sec rejects conflict of interest claims: Fisheries Parliamentary Secretary Alicia Bugeja Sant rejected claims of conflict of interest after media reports revealed that her electoral campaign spending came from donations from key stakeholders in the industry. Before becoming a Labour candidate, the junior minister was a Director of the fisheries department. “What I received as donations was all legal and I declared everything as required by law in a very public and transparent way”, she insisted. When asked if she thought the gifts were inappropriate because they were from major participants in the business she currently oversees, Bugeja Said reiterated that she had “reported everything as required by law.”
Gozo tourism expected to recover, businesses say: According to a study conducted by the Gozo Tourism Association, tourism enterprises in Gozo expect this year to be their recovery year following COVID-19, but they are concerned about growing expenses and employee shortages. The online poll focused on the success of Gozitan tourist businesses during the first four months of 2022, the Easter season, as well as human resource difficulties. When compared to the first four months of 2021, when Malta was subject to COVID-19 limitations, 53% of the firms questioned reported increased business. According to 33%, their performance was comparable to the first four months of 2021, while 13% reported fewer business.
Covid-19 Update: Health authorities reported 59 new cases on Wednesday. The number of active cases stands at 1609 after 142 recovered.
Morning Briefing
MEPs lament county’s extremely delayed judicial procedure
MEPs on a rule of law fact-finding trip in Malta have expressed their alarm over the country’s “extremely delayed judicial procedure.” In a meeting with the Prime Minister and several ministers in Castille, the delegation’s chairperson, Dutch MEP Sophie in’t Veld, observed that while “a lot has been done” in numerous areas identified as problematic in previous missions, the “extremely lengthy judicial procedure” remains a concern. “Overall, it appears that much has been accomplished in terms of nominations, the judiciary, the FIAU, and other areas, and that things are going forward. There are still a lot of situations where improvement is required and more has to be done,” she stated.
Nationalist MP raises alarm on massage parlours
Graziella Attard Previ, a Nationalist MP, expressed alarm in parliament about the government’s lack of action against the hundreds of massage parlors that have sprung up over the island, many of which double as brothels. She said that there were approximately 200 licensed massage parlours in Malta and Gozo by the end of 2016. “One could wonder why there are as many massage parlors as there are pastizzi shops,” she said, “since there are so many professional physiotherapists and spas, even in hotels, giving massage services.” She also questioned why the government has taken no action against massage parlors that have been determined to be functioning as brothels in multiple court instances. “While prostitution is not illegal, women’s exploitation for prostitution is.”
Covid-19 Update
92 new cases of Covid-19 were reported by health authorities yesterday, as 158 persons recovered. The active tally continues to decrease and now stands at 1692.
