Updated 1800
Daphne Carina Galizia’s killer allowed out of prison for party
Daphne Caruana Galizia’s convicted killer George Degiorgio was allowed out of prison on Friday night to attend a family baptism party, Times of Malta revealed. Degiorgio was last year sentenced to 40 years imprisonment after admitting to blowing up journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. He and his brother Alfred have since demanded a retrial. Images from the party obtained by Times of Malta show him smiling and posing for photos with relatives. Attending the party is at least one person suspected to be heavily involved in organised crime. A representative for Degiorgio insisted that everything “was done legally, with all the necessary requests and authorisation from the authorities”.
73-year-old man in custody over possession of extreme child porn
A 73-year-old man from St. Paul’s Bay has been remanded in custody after being charged with the possession and dissemination of what has been described as “extreme child pornography.” Publius Said, also known as Leo or Pullu, was arraigned under arrest before magistrate Charmaine Galea on Saturday afternoon, accused of possession of child pornography and misuse of electronic communications equipment. (Malta Today)
Din L-Art Ħelwa urges government to conclude guardianship deeds
Many historic sites were deteriorating through neglect and abandon, Din l-Art Ħelwa warned, as a result of bureaucratic delays in granting their guardianships to NGOs. Members at the Annual General Meeting held on Saturday 25 February 2023 again urged Government, and in particular the Minister in charge of the Lands Authority, and the Minister for the National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government, to urgently resolve the bureaucratic issues. Din l-Art Ħelwa (DLĦ) has for some time been seeking guardianship of the medieval chapel of San Ċir, the Cavalerizza and Marfa Palace in Mellieħa, and Qbajjar Battery in Marsalforn. It has already carried out the required studies, acquired the necessary permits and found funds for restoration. (Malta Independent)
Updated 1200
PM distances himself from Govt deal with Vitals: Prime Minister Robert Abela has denied any involvement in government’s privatisation deal with Vitals Global Healthcare and subsequently Steward Healthcare. “I had no involvement in that deal,” Abela insisted when questioned by journalists. Abela was legal advisor to the PM when the agreement for the concession was agreed. (Maltatoday)
Evarist Bartolo: Former Cabinet being used as smokescreen: Former minister Evarist Bartolo has called out former PM Joseph Muscat for implicating the Cabinet hours after a court described the Vitals agreement as fraudulent. Reacting, Muscat denied involvement, implying instead that it was a Cabinet decision to greenlight the deal and that legal advice had been sought. Bartolo is the first member of Muscat’s cabinet to react publicly. He said that it was not fair that former Cabinet is being used as a smokescreen. (Times of Malta)
ADPD, Graffiti call for police action against Labour stalwarts: In a statement, ADPD – The Green Party said that following today’s court judgment “it is now crystal clear that the contract was fraudulent.” ADPD also called on the Commissioner of Police to investigate Joseph Muscat, Konrad Mizzi and Chris Cardona for fraud/corruption without delay. Pressure group Moviment Graffitti has called for the immediate criminal prosecution of the top cabinet members involved in masterminding the deal, including former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and former Health Minister Konrad Mizzi. Moviment Graffitti went on to call on the current Labour government to put an immediate halt to any further leakage of taxpayers’ money into the Vitals and Steward Healthcare fraudulent deal. (Newsbook)
Morning Briefing
Dramatic, historic, damning: reactions to Steward/Vitals court ruling
Dramatic, historic, damning: these are but three of a list of adjectives used throughout the past hours to react to the outcome of a judgment annulling the controversial deal that handed over the running of three state hospitals to a private consortium. Ruling on a case started by former PN leader Adrian Delia, Judge Francesco Depasquale did not mince his words, arguing that the deal brokered under the former PM Joseph Muscat’s administration was “corrupt and fraudulent” and that the Gozo General Hospital, St Luke’s Hospital and Karin Grech Hospital should be returned to the state because promised targets were never met. While Government said that it would be looking into the decision, Steward described the statements made against it as “outrageous and without merit”.
PN calls for debate, protest on Monday after Vitals judgment
The Opposition will be requesting an urgent debate in parliament on Monday on the court judgment that annulled the hospitals concession agreement. Opposition leader Bernard Grech also called on the public to demonstrate outside parliament and voice their opposition to crooked and fraudulent behaviour. “Next Monday, is our first opportunity, to insist on an immediate discussion in parliament in regards to all material of national importance as emerged from court today,” Grech told the press with Adrian Delia alongside him. An emotional Delia said that the fight had lasted for five years but that however “we believed that in the face of corruption you can never stop fighting and you can never give up”. (Maltatoday/The Malta Independent)
Debt levels approaching €9 billion
At the end of January 2023, Malta’s debt reached €8.9 billion, an increase of €774.8 million when compared to 2022. The increase reported under Malta Government Stocks (€669.4 million) was the main contributor to the rise in debt. Malta reported a deficit of €120.9 million in January 2023, an increase of €54.7 million when compared to the same period the previous year. (Newsbook)
