Updated – Afternoon Briefing
The Times of Malta reports that a 21-year-old man who allegedly raped a man and a woman in close succession in Ħamrun on Tuesday was remanded in custody upon his arraignment on Wednesday.
Maltatoday says that an 83-year-old woman was critically injured on Wednesday after falling onto the rocks of Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq bay.
TVM covers the story of a 25-year-old English woman, who is facing fraud charges, and who has had her request for her salary not to remain frozen upheld by the Court. Hannah Marie Longdale, who lives in St Paul’s Bay, had been arraigned in Court on 20 February 2020 and charged with fraud and falsification of documents to the detriment of a company.
Newsbook reveals that the announcement that the IVF Bill was signed has vanished from the Government Gazette without explanation
Updated 1220 – Mid-Day Briefing
Police officer injured in morning chase: A police officer was injured this morning following an extensive chase of a wanted man. The incident happened around 7.30am, when police fired warning shots towards the man, who refused to slow down, hitting another police officer – who was not involved in this operation – while on his personal motorbike. The man, who failed to sign his bail book, was eventually stopped by a CID car which rammed into his vehicle, leading to his arrest. No further details about the man were divulged.
Constitutional Court rules against George Degiorgio on phone tapping: George Degiorgio’s appeal for the Constitutional Court to reverse its ruling requiring the head of Malta’s security service to produce a copy of the warrant authorizing phone taps on him was denied. After being charged with killing journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in 2017, George Degiorgio and his brother Alfred are now waiting to go to trial. Degiorgio later acknowledged the murder in an interview with Reuters, although he is still attempting to reach a plea agreement with the Attorney General. As the admission was not made in court, his statement to the foreign press is irrelevant to any ongoing criminal investigations.
Covid-19 Update: Health authorities reported 219 new Covid-19 cases, while 649 recovery. The active case tally has declined to 5,228.
Morning Briefing
Pre-election cheques not conformant with international election standards – OSCE
The OSCE’s office for democratic institutions and human rights ruled that the handing out of cheques prior to the March general election does not conform to international standards and good practice. In a 25-page report international experts said that handing out money a few weeks before the elections could blur the line between party and state. €100 to €200 cheques were sent during the electoral campaign. The OSCE also noted how the appointment procedure of PBS, its management, its financing and reports of interference in editorial policy all point to a lack of independence from the government. (Times of Malta / Maltatoday)
PN questions signature of IVF bill
Nationalist MP Ivan Bartolo has said in a video that the amendments related to IVF were presented to the President of Malta a week ago, but up to this day, these amendments have not yet been signed into law. President George Vella had insisted that the new IVF bill will be signed into law after it was approved by both sides of the House. However, President Vella was not clear on whether he would be signing it himself. (The Malta Independent)
French students found guilty of damaging apartment
Two young people who are studying English in Malta and were staying with a Maltese family have pleaded guilty to damaging a building of apartments. The French students Mickael Tarkan Deffrasnes, 23, and Anna Laguibre, 24, appeared in court on Tuesday to answer allegations of property damage to a third party after they allegedly damaged the apartment building’s elevator and landing. They admitted to the charges and confirmed their admission after consulting their legal aid lawyer. The Court handed them an 18-month jail term suspended for four years and ordered them to reimburse the damages after the prosecution insisted that it was not seeking an effective jail term. (Newsbook)
