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LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – A Sicilian man was arrested by the police in Malta on serious suspicions of drug trafficking. The police confirmed that the 48-year-old man was arrested on Friday afternoon after days of surveillance.
The police raided his car and residence in Sir Charles Cameron Street in Gzira. During the search, 20 small packets of cocaine and around € 3,000 in cash were seized by the police.
The police investigations are still ongoing, however the Sicilian is expected to be arraigned before court on Sunday accused of drug trafficking.
(ITALPRESS).

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The family of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia assassinated four year ago, has accepted Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abelàs apology. This was stated by Caruana Galiziàs son, Paul, during an online press event held on Friday afternoon after a parliamentary session in which both sides of the House discussed the findings of the three-judge board of inquiry. The inquiry report, which was published on Thursday, concluded that the Maltese state must shoulder responsibility over the death of the journalist as it had created a favourable environment for those who sought to eliminate her. The 437-page report concluded that although there is no proof that the Maltese State was actively involved in the murder, the culture of impunity was created from the highest echelons of power within former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s office. Paul Caruana Galizia explained that the family had experienced great difficulties. However, he added that the conclusions are a step forward towards attaining full justice and that the family is expecting complete accountability.
(ITALPRESS).

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – A public inquiry into the killing of investigative Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia concluded that the Maltese State must shoulder responsibility for the assassination of Caruana Galizia for creating a culture of impunity which infiltrated the country’s institutions. In a 437-page report the inquiry did not found any evidence that the Maltese State was actively involved in the murder, but concluded that a culture of impunity was created from the highest ranks of power within the former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s office. “The impunity was generated at the highest levels at the heart of administration and like an octopus spread to other entities such as regulatory institutions and the Police leading to the collapse of the Rule of Law”. The public inquiry found Muscat as “indirectly responsible” for Daphne Caruana Galiziàs death for failing to sack his Chief-of-Staff Keith Schembri and former energy minister Konrad Mizzi for the setting up of secret companies in Panama. Schembri and Mizzi were planning to do business with Daphne Caruana Galizia murder suspect Yorgen Fenech’s secret Dubai company 17 Black. “While Muscat could justify his decision to keep them on after the Panama Paper revelations by saying it was a wrong political decision, he certainly could not do so on 17 Black which implicated both Schembri and Mizzi in serious criminal allegations”. In its conclusions, the report said the Maltese State did not recognise “the real and immediate risks, including the criminal conduct of third parties, on the life of Daphne Caruana Galizia” and failed to take the necessary action to protect the journalist. Noting that Daphne Caruana Galiziàs murder was “intrinsically, if not exclusively” linked to her investigative work on major projects involving big business, the report said the police are not excluding the involvement of other parties behind those currently charged with her murder.
Brothers Alfred and George Degiorgio are charged with planning and executing the assassination while Fenech stands charged with organising and financing the assassination. The third man charged with planting the bomb, Vince Muscat, was sentenced to 15 years’ jail after reaching a plea bargain agreement. Melvin Theuma, who claims to be a middleman in the murder, secured immunity from prosecution in exchange for his testimony. The Maltese Parliament will convene on Friday morning in a special session to discuss the report from the public inquiry into the death of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

(ITALPRESS).

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta continued to register further increase in new coronavirus cases. The local health authorities confirmed 166 new cases on Thursday, 33 cases less than the previous day.
With 2,487 active cases, Maltàs COVID-19 rate is the fifth highest in the European Union. According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), only Cyprus, Portugal and Spain and the Netherlands have a higher case rate per 100,000 people.
No deaths were recorded in the past 24 hours. Malta is the only country in the EU to have a death rate of zero for these last three weeks. The local health authorities are attributing this situation to the high vaccination rate. A total of 17 coronavirus positive patients are currently being treated at Mater Dei Hospital, one of whom is in the Intensive Care Unit.
Active Ageing Minister Michael Farrugia has been released from hospital after tests confirmed that there were no undue complications from his Covid-19 infection. Farrugia was tested positive last Sunday.
Meanwhile, a group of 128 French students, who are positive for Covid-19, returned home earlier this afternoon with a special flight operated by ASL Airlines France which specialises in medical flights. Almost 200 students had already been repatriated on two flights on Monday and Tuesday to Italy, Germany and Spain. All of these turned out to be negative for the virus although some were in quarantine. It is understood that more than 500 students who were studying English in Malta tested positive for coronavirus. Malta has had 33,198 cases of coronavirus since the start of the pandemic which has claimed 420 lives so far.
(ITALPRESS).

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – As Malta has been red-listed once again by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the Maltese authorities started to repatriate the first groups of foriegn students who were in Malta to study the English language. Malta has seen an upsurge in COVID-19 cases as from last week following different clusters of foreign students from Italy, France, Germany and Spain who were found positive to coronavirus. As a result, the Maltese government ordered the closure of all English language schools on the island. The repatriation programme is coordinated and financed by the Malta Tourism Authority. The first flight with 58 Italian and around 30 German students left Malta at 10.15 and arrived at Romès Fiumicino airport at around 12.20. The last stop was scheduled at Frankfurt airport. All students had to undergo a swap test before boarding in order to provide a negative test result upon their arrival in Rome and Frankfurt. The recent increase in Covid-19 cases has made Malta one of the worst-affected regions in Europe. During the last 24 hours, the Maltese health authorities registered 146 new cases, bringing the total number of active cases to 1.963. Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela decribed the present situation as “under control”.
(ITALPRESS).

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – As the number of positive cases continue to rise in Malta, it was officially announced the Minister for Active Ageing Michael Farrugia was tested positive for COVID-19.
Farrugia announced that he underwent a swab test and the result came back positive. Farrugia added that he will now spend the next two weeks in quarantine.
The Minister received the first dose of the vaccine on January, 29th followed by the second dose later.
(ITALPRESS).

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Foreign students who are stuck in Malta will soon return to their home country. The Maltese government will be organising repatriation flights in the coming days, however no offical details were released. However those students who are kept in isolation are expected to stay in Malta until the end of the quarantine period.
According to relaible sources, the Malta Tourism Authority is in regular contact with the Maltese Federation representing the English schools to co-ordinate the repatriation flights for students from Italy, Germany, Spain and France. Hundreds of foreign students are stuck in Malta after the government closed all English schools on Wednesday.
However, it is not yet known who will pay for these flights and whether the Maltese Government will be giving a subsidy to any foreign student who returns to his country.
Meanwhile, the Malta Tourism Authority has issued a public call for the availability of a second hotel that can accommodate more foreigners who are in quarantine. The Corinthia Marina hotel in St. Julian’s were most of the Italian students are staying is almost full with 287 guests.
Malta is registering a daily increase in COVID-19 cases. The total number of active cases rose to 1,441 in just few days.
(ITALPRESS).

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The public inquiry board charged to investigate whether the Maltese State did enough to prevent the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia said it will present its conclusions to Prime Minister Robert Abela and State Advocate in the coming days after concluding its work. Then, the Office of the Prime Minister have eight working days to review it. The report will then be handed over to the Caruana Galizia family to review it.
Over the past 18 months, the inquiry board composed by three judges, heard many witnesses, including former prime minister Joseph Muscat, his former Chief of Staff Keith Schembri, ministers, journalists and activists.
The board was set up in December 2019 following pressure from European institutions and the civil society. Ooriginally it had a nine-month term to conclude its work but requested an extension since the process was disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.
(ITALPRESS).