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Former PL candidate Joe Sammut questioned over fictitious Libyan companies

August 7, 2015, 3:17 am
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Accountant Joe Sammut is being held for questioning over allegations he is aiding Libyan nationals obtain a residency permit by creating fictitious companies. The former Labour Party candidate, whose website vaunts the deep links he has with Libya, was catapulted into international fame during the Libya crisis in 2011 when it transpired that he handled the financial affairs of the Gaddafi family. However, his name cropped up in court this week when Libyan national Arab Ali Khalefa from Tripoli admitted in front of Magistrate Francesco Depasquale that he gave Mr Sammut false details to help him set up a company in Malta. In court, immigration officials had said investigations into any wrongdoing by Mr Sammut drew a blank as it resulted that Mr Khalefa had provided false information. But the case did raise question marks since Mr Khalefa’s application had said he spoke English, something that was not true. The police also said Mr Khalefa could not tell them how many shares he held in the company. The case shed light on what sources told the Times of Malta was a new approach by Libyans to gain residency permits in Malta to escape turmoil in their country. Hundreds were creating...
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Mepa demerger will weaken environmental governance - Front Harsien ODZ

August 7, 2015, 3:21 am
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The Malta Environment and Planning Authority demerger will weaken environmental governance and allow the minister to interfere with decision-making, Michael Briguglio for the Front Harsien ODZ said this morning. Addressing a press conference in front of the Office of the Prime Minister, he said the front was opposed to the demerger and endorsed Din l-Art Helwa’s and Friends of the Earth’s statements on the subject. “The proposed legislation makes it easier to develop on ODZ land, weakens enforcement, weakens transparency and weakens civil society participation in decision-making processes,” he said. The NGO believes that allowing the minister to override Planning Authority decisions will lead to more political interference and decrease the authority’s autonomy. Dr Briguglio said that changes in the law allowing for the regularisation of illegal development in protected zones put the future of the environment at risk and the NGO was worried that the new law lacked specific policies.  “The national strategy for planning and environment should be a binding set of policies, which government and authority should commit to for a specified period of time, and any changes to it should...
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Man United face Bruges, Valencia and Monaco clash

August 7, 2015, 3:38 am
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Manchester United will have to beat Belgium's Club Bruges over two legs to reach the Champions League group stage following the draw for the playoff round made on Friday United, fourth in the English Premier League last season, will play the first leg against the Belgian side, who eliminated Panathinaikos in the third qualifying round, at Old Trafford. Italy's Lazio will meet Bayer Leverkusen, with the first leg in Rome, and while another high profile tie pitted Spain's Valencia against Monaco, who were quarter-finalists last year. Former European champions Celtic will play Swedish counterparts Malmo, with the first leg in Glasgow, and Skenderbeu, aiming to become first Albanian team to reach the group stage, must face Dinamo Zagreb. The first legs will be played on August 18/19 and the second legs on August 25/26. Play-off draw League routeLazio (ITA) v Bayer Leverkusen (GER)Manchester United (ENG) v Club Brugge (BEL)Sporting CP (POR) v CSKA Moskva (RUS)Rapid Wien (AUT) v Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)Valencia (ESP) v AS Monaco (FRA) Champions routeAstana (KAZ) v APOEL (CYP)Skënderbeu (ALB) v Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)Celtic (SCO) v Malmö (SWE)FC Basel (SUI) v Maccabi Tel-Aviv (ISR)BATE...
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Curia argues against deletion of article in law prohibiting vilification of religion

August 7, 2015, 3:40 am
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The articles in the law prohibiting the vilification of religion should not be deleted but there should be no difference between the sanctions imposed on those vilifying the Roman Catholic religion or any other religion, belief or non-belief, the Curia said. It made the statement in a position paper on the decriminalisation of the public vilification of religion and pornography, presented by Archbishop Charles Scicluna and Gozo bishop Mario Grech to Prime Minister Joseph Muscat this morning. The Curia said that article two of the Constitution should not to be seen in isolation but as part of chapter one which laid down the republican governance, the religion, the flag, the national anthem, the language and the Constitution as the six most fundamental and equal civic values. “Since the national religion is on a par with the other five values, one cannot choose between them by requiring five to be treated with reverence and allowing the sixth to be subjected to vilification,” the Curia said. The paper, drawn up by a group of experts set up by the bishops, also deals with pornography. It says that the licensing of sex shops had nothing to do with “freedom of expression” or the...
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July hotter than usual

August 7, 2015, 4:01 am
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July was hotter than usual with an average temperature of 28.1˚C as opposed to the climate norm of 26.6˚C, the Meteorological Office said. It said that the average maximum temperature rose to 33.1˚C, accompanied also by a higher minimum temperature of 23.1˚C, surpassing the average 21.7˚C. The highest temperature ever recorded for the month of July was on July 9, 1988, when the heat reached 42.7˚C. July 31 was the hottest day this year, with the thermometer showing 38.4˚C. The lowest temperature last month was recorded on July 1 with the temperature briefly dropping to 20.2˚C. Seven days had a maximum temperature of 35˚C or over, two of which (21 and 31) peaked at 5˚C more than the maximum norm of 31.6˚C. The average sea surface temperature for July was 26.3˚C, which is notably higher than the expected 24.7˚C.
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CABS report illegal bird callers to police

August 7, 2015, 4:17 am
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A CABS team this morning reported two illegal bird callers used for hunting or trapping to the police. The devices imitated the calls of protected Oystercatchers and other waterbirds and were switched off and confiscated by the officers. The lures were found close to the lighthouse where angry bird trappers yesterday attacked a team from Birdlife Malta, CABS said. It said that last Monday, CABS teams found another large illegal bird trapping site close to Santa Lucija in Gozo. The police were called and confiscated the clap net. Investigations to identify the poacher were launched.
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In paternalistic South Korea, 'sexy cooking men' break kitchen barrier

August 7, 2015, 4:24 am
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Gender roles are changing in South Korea as more and more men take an interest in cooking. Julie Noce reports.
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Financial controller gets community work for beating up girlfriend's ex

August 7, 2015, 4:27 am
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A man who saw red when he was two-timed by his former partner and beat up another man in a fit of rage has been ordered to carry out 200 hours of work in the community.  Magistrate Marseann Farrugia found Elian Mallia, a 31-year-old financial controller from Attard, guilty of seriously injuring Nathan Testa during an altercation in Pembroke early on September 28, 2007.  The court heard how Mr Mallia was dating a woman, who he admitted was his first real love, when she two-timed him with Mr Testa, her ex boyfriend. She had immediately told him about the matter and he had taken it very badly.  One day, he forced her to call Mr Testa to tell him to meet her in Pembroke at 11.15pm. But he went instead, surprising Mr Testa. He told the police he had gone to the meeting to speak to Mr Testa and clear the air, despite going there with a telescopic baton tied to his back. The baton was, however, never used.  The two men came to blows and Mr Testa suffered bruises to his face and a laceration underneath his right eye, that required three sutures.  In court, Mr Testa said he had forgiven Mr Mallia and withdrew the criminal complaint he had filed against him. However, there were some...
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Updated: Man dies, two injured as balcony floor collapses

August 7, 2015, 4:37 am
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Eugenio d'Anastasi, a 56-year-old construction worker from Birkirkara died when the floor of a balcony he was working on collapsed in Gzira. The man, a father of two, fell onto a car before rolling off and coming to rest on a stone slab. Two other men were hurt in the incident, which happened just after 1pm. They were also working on the balcony. A 62-year-old man from Birkirkara, Victor Camilleri, was critically injured after he became trapped under the balcony floor, while Anthony Bartolo, a 44-year-old man from San Gwann suffered slight injuries. The workers were at a construction site in Abate Rigord Street, corner with Triq il-Gnien. An inquiry is being held.  
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Opposition welcomes increase in retail sales

August 7, 2015, 5:25 am
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The Opposition today welcomed the increase in retail sales in June as evidenced by the statistics published by Eurostat today but questioned whether this growth was affecting positively all retailers and wholesalers. “The data shows that while some retail sectors are enjoying growth, other sectors are in decline. The sales of food and beverages declined by 0.8 per cent while the retail of non-food items, excluding fuel, increased marginally by 0.9 per cent. Interestingly, the sale of automotive fuel surged by 12.1 per cent. This means that Malta registered the second highest growth in sales of automotive fuel amongst the EU countries for which data is available,” deputy leader Mario de Marco said. He said the Opposition was also aware of the fact that a number of retail centres around Malta, such as those in Ħamrun, Mosta, Raħal Gdid and Birkirkara were suffering.“The Opposition considers these retail centres as an essential part of the community and every effort should be made by government to ensure that these centres remain competitive. “The Opposition urges government to work with the respective local councils, shop owner representatives and the shop owners themselves to...
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Career criminal gets reduced jail term

August 7, 2015, 5:26 am
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Career criminal and aspiring politician Daniel Lanzon has seen his jail term reduced by six months after an Appeals Court upheld his argument that he had stolen €300 and not €430.  The 30-year-old from St Julian's had been sentenced to 18 months in jail after he was found guilty of stealing €430 in cash from an office at the Cottonera Sports Pavillion on May 3, 2009, and of causing damage to the shop. He had also been found guilty of relapsing.  But Mr Lanzon appealed, arguing that he had admitted in his statement released to the police that he had stolen €300 in cash and that the figure of €430 was not even confirmed by the person who had found the cash missing from a drawer in his office.  He also argued that the 18-month prison term was too severe for such a crime, especially when considering the testimonies of his psychiatrist who confirmed that he had mental health problems.  The Court of Criminal Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice David Scicluna, said Mr Lanzon's statement given to the police was admissible as evidence since there was no evidence showing that he had been forced to say what he said. The judge also noted that Mr Lanzon had previous experiences of police...
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Long jail terms for pair who insulted Thailand monarchy on Facebook

August 7, 2015, 5:44 am
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Thailand's military courts have issued long sentences for two people convicted of insulting the monarchy on Facebook. The watchdog group iLaw said Bangkok Military Court sentenced Pongsak Sriboonpeng, from the capital, to 60 years, 10 for each message, but halved his sentence because he admitted wrongdoing. A mother of two young girls in the northern province of Chiang Mai was also found guilty of posting offensive Facebook comments, but had her cumulative sentence halved to 28 years after pleading guilty. Thailand's lese majeste law mandates prison terms of three to 15 years for defaming, insulting or threatening the monarchy.
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Wrongly accused man takes case to European Court of Human Rights

August 7, 2015, 6:01 am
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Darryl Luke Borg, the man who spent three nights in jail for a crime he never committed, has filed a case before the European Court of Human Rights after a Maltese court awarded him a paltry €150 despite acknowledging his human rights had been breached. To add insult to injury, the domestic court also ordered him to pay two-thirds of the court fees amounting to over €2,000.  The sum awarded was described as “minimal” by his lawyers David Camilleri and Joseph Gatt in their application filed before the European human rights body, considering their client had been deprived of his freedom. They told the European Court that the Maltese Constitutional Court had only found violation of Mr Borg's rights because the accusations against him were not dropped immediately, without finding violation in the man's initial arrest.  The 27-year-old man's ordeal began on August 6, 2013, when he was arrested, arraigned and remanded in custody over an armed robbery at The Convenience Shop, a grocery store in Mgr Alfred Mifsud Street, Birkirkara. He was receiving treatment for his ADHD condition at Mount Carmel Hospital at the time of his arrest.  Mr Borg’s lawyers are insisting that the police could...
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Cilla Black: head injury in fall ‘was probable cause of death’

August 7, 2015, 6:19 am
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High temperatures also contributed to the death of the TV and singing star. Photo: Carmen Valino/PA Wire

The type of stroke Liverpool-born entertainer Cilla Black suffered at her Spanish villa does not normally cause sudden death, the postmortem examination has reportedly said. The 72-year-old fell and hit her head at her home on the Costa del Sol at the weekend. A post-mortem, reported to have been published by Spanish authorities, said a range of factors including the time taken to receive medical attention can affect chances of survival. High temperatures also contributed to the death of the TV and singing star, the 10-page report said. According to reports it said: “A subarachnoid haemorrhage by its characteristics doesn’t normally cause sudden death, but it can produce a loss of consciousness and depending on the state of health of the person and the context (place and way in which the trauma occurs, time it takes to be medically assisted, position people are found in etc) can cause death in a more or less defined period of time. “That can either be through lack of consciousness or obstruction of the airways by the tongue or the lack of medical attention during a certain time period, causing a brain alteration with subsequent heart and/or lung consequences and death.” It...
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Students evacuated because of restaurant fire

August 7, 2015, 7:18 am
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Students of Inlingua School of Languages in Bisazza Street have been evacuated as members of the Civil Protection Department put out a fire at Dee Goose Restaurant, situated just beneath it. A spokesman for the department said the fire was at the restaurant's kitchen. Two fire engines and the police are on site.
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Bosses urged to cater for new mothers who want to breastfeed

August 7, 2015, 7:40 am
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Employers should make it easier for mothers to continue breastfeeding their babies once they have gone back to work, a UK law firm specialising in maternity discrimination has said. Slater and Gordon suggested provisions such as setting aside a private room for women to express milk, allowing the child to come to the office at lunchtime, providing a fridge for storing the milk and allowing women to be more flexible with their work hours could all be made where possible. It said that while there are laws in place to protect mothers who want to breastfeed in public, there is currently no statutory obligation for employers to accommodate women who wish to continue breastfeeding their child when they return to work. It carried out a poll that found that more than half of women reduced the amount they breastfed their child when they re-entered the workplace, with just under a quarter only breastfeeding when they were not at work. Of the mothers who breastfed less when returning to work, four in 10 said there was not anywhere for them to feed their child or express milk, 37 per cent said they would have felt too uncomfortable expressing milk or breastfeeding in the workplace, while a...
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UN unanimously approves resolution on Syria chemical weapons

August 7, 2015, 8:09 am
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The UN Security Council has unanimously adopted a resolution aimed at identifying those responsible for using chemical weapons in attacks in Syria that have killed and injured a growing number of civilians. While Russia and the US have failed to agree on a way to end the Syrian conflict, now in its fifth year, they have agreed on eliminating the country's chemical weapons. The draft resolution fills a gap in assigning blame for chemical weapons attacks so the perpetrators can be brought to justice. The Security Council vote came two days after US secretary of state John Kerry and Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov reached agreement on the final text of the resolution. None of the 13 other council members raised objections.
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Islamic extremists attack UN hotel in central Mali, with several people killed

August 7, 2015, 8:10 am
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Islamic extremists have attacked a hotel in central Mali near an army camp in Sevare, and several people are dead, according to residents. The jihadists exchanged fire with the army near the Hotel Debo, said army spokesman Colonel Souleymane Maiga. Moussa Bah, the owner of a hotel nearby, said he was told by military personnel that several people had been killed, including jihadists and soldiers. He said the hotel is frequented by pilots with the United Nations peacekeeping mission. Another resident said: "This morning as I was leaving for work I heard shots and saw smoke coming from the Hotel Debo. The area is surrounded by soldiers who told us to return to our homes." It was the latest in a string of attacks this year by extremists - who three years ago controlled most of northern Mali - in central and southern parts of the African country. On Saturday, two Malian soldiers were killed and five injured when their convoy was ambushed in the centre of the country on the road between the towns of Nampala and Diabaly. In March, a masked gunman opened fire at a restaurant popular with foreigners in Bamako, the capital, killing five people. In late June, gunmen killed three soldiers...
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Basic shortcomings in the police force need to be seen to - MPA

August 7, 2015, 8:31 am
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The Malta Police Association (MPA) today asked if the 110 members of the Rapid Intervention Unit who were not part of the Swat team were children of a lesser god. In a statement it said this was because while the Swat Team members were given an additional pair of trousers, the other 110 had to call in for work with torn trousers because they were only given one pair in the past two years. Many ended up buying trousers at their own expense. The MPA also said that there were many offices in several police stations which were not yet equipped with air conditioning. Moreover, officers on fixed point duties spent a lot of time in the sun without any shelter. It called for modern sentry boxes equipped with air conditioning as there was next to the residences of the Prime Minister’s and the British High Commissioner. It pointed out that the third district, which comprised of Paola, Fgura, Santa Lucija, parts of Marsa and Tarxien was only equipped with one car, making it extremely difficult for the police to keep up with their work and carry out the necessary investigations. This was also detrimental to the public. It noted that 70 per cent of people who took part in a survey conducted...
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Share index reaches 7-year high

August 7, 2015, 8:35 am
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The share index moved 0.5 per cent higher to a fresh seven-year high of 4,228.224 points as various equities trended in positive territory during this morning’s session. In the financial sector, HSBC moved 1.6 per cent higher to regain the €1.88 level across six deals totalling 18,517 shares. The equity will continue to trade with the entitlement to the interim gross dividend of 5c1 (net: 3c32) per share until next Wednesday. The equity turns ex-dividend as from Thursday. Similarly, the share price of Lombard Bank was lifted 2.5 per cent higher to recapture the €2.10 level for the first time since February 2013 on volumes of 23,212 shares. The bank is scheduled to publish its interim results on August 25. The equity of Mapfre Middlesea also edged 0.5 per cent higher to €2.03 albeit on shallow volumes of 2,100 shares. Positive movements also in the share price of Malta International Airport with a 1.3 per cent rise to regain the €3.95 level on shallow volumes of 1,500 shares. The airport operator’s equity will continue to trade with the entitlement to the interim gross dividend of 4c62 (net: 3c) per share until Monday. The equity turns ex-dividend as from Tuesday. GO shares also...
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