Weekly News highlights

A dingli man who was found unconscious in Floriana last Friday week died of a suspected drug overdose. The 27-year-old man was found lying in Crown Works Ditch and rushed to hospital in danger of losing his life. He died last Sunday.

Skanska to be paid Lm145.5 million for Mater Dei

Skanska are to be paid Lm145.5 million for the building of the Mater Dei Hospital, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi told Prliament on Monday.

The hospital's medical equipment, IT systems, logistics and administration expenses of the Foundation for Medical Services could cost an additional Lm30 to Lm40 million.

In terms of the agreement reached yesterday week, the Skanska consortium would be paid Lm139 million for the first phase of the project, which involved the building of the hospital, Lm6 million for the accommodation of the second and third phases within the existing building, and Lm500,000 for the installation of medical equipment.

The hospital must be commissioned on July 1, 2007, failing which Skanska would be liable to penalties of Lm1 million a month up to a maximum of Lm5 million.

Dr Gonzi said the Lm139 million agreed for the first phase of the project was Lm25 million lower than the potential total which Government had faced before its intensive talks with Skanska.

The second and third phases, which were to have been completed in 2010, would include the Institute of Health Care and Medical School, and the Renal, Dental, Oncology and Dermatology Units.

Man charged with kidnapping son

A Zabbar man, Jimmy Grech, 49, on Monday was charged with kidnapping his nine-year-old son from a Sliema school. Grech was also charged with talking his son into leaving St Patrick's School, where he was placed following a care order, and helping his son escape.

Grech was also charged with threatening, assaulting and slightly injuring two police officers when he drove in their direction last Sunday. He pleaded guilty to all charges. He was granted bail on condition he did not approach the school and on a personal guarantee of Lm2,000.

Young man electrocuted

Jonathan Agius, 23, of Mgarr, died on Monday after he was electrocuted in Triq l-Industrija, Qormi. Agius was working at a construction site. He was about to empty a metal container with concrete that was being hoisted by a crane, when the crane hit some overhead power cables and electrocuted him.

Agius was rushed to hospital where he died an hour later.

Unemployment lower than EU average

EUROSTAT statistics show a slight improvement in Malta's unemployment rate last September. Malta's unemployment rate is at its lowest for the past year. In September 2003, the unemployment rate stood at 8.6 per cent or 0.2 per cent more than September this year.

Compared to other EU states, Malta's unemployment rate stands below the average.

Fined Lm6,500 for felling protected trees

Mark Sapiano, 49, of Sliema was fined Lm6,500 on Tuesday for cutting down 13 protected trees at Villa Margerita in Marsaxlokk, which were over 10 years old.

Enemalta and WSC to recoup Lm23 million in bills

Enemalta and the Water Services Corporation on Wednesday embarked on a drive to collect Lm23.8 million in outstanding unpaid bills. The corporation's first target will be clients who have defaulted by more than 100 days. This accounts for Lm18.4 million of the total figure.

Over Lm18 million is owed by smaller commercial clients, Lm300,000 by industry, Lm1 million by hotels and Lm4.2 million by domestic users.

Sources said the corporations were missing out on extra revenue of Lm1.6 million per year in interest.

Measures will include strictly enforcing the existing 45-day payment terms. If payment is not made within this period, interest of 8% in the case of Enemalta and 9% for the WSC will be applied to the owed sum from the 16th day of non-payment.

Two to be charged with beating Somali workers

The Police will press charges in connection with two Somali asylum seekers who claimed they were beaten up after they asked their employer for their dues and he refused to pay up. The police said action will be taken against two persons.

One of the Somalis needed six stitches after he was hit on the head with construction scissors in an unprovoked attack. They claim they were approached to work in a construction site in Sliema last month as they were sitting outside the open centre. They were promised Lm10 for every 12-hour day.

Malta aims to adopt euro by 2008

Malta would like to adopt the euro by 2008 or by 2010 at the very latest, a European Commission report revealed on Wednesday. However, Malta has still to appoint a co-ordinating body in charge of leading the whole process.

Malta had already drawn up an implementation plan to enter the single currency, covering the whole process including the actual minting of euro bank notes and coins.

The report, the first to be adopted by the Commission, is entitled "Practical Preparations for the Future Enlargement of the Euro Area" and is intended to keep all relevant parties, in particular the Community institutions and member states, as well as the general public, well informed about the progress made in this area.

Three years for conspiring in human trafficking

An Algerian, Ferhat Guellouma, 52, who lives in Birkirkara, was jailed for three years on Wednesday for conspiring to traffic people by helping them travel from Malta to Italy illegally two years ago.

Bail given to four of 19 on drug conspiracy charges

Four of 19 people charged with drug conspiracy on Friday were granted bail against accumulative deposits and personal guarantees ranging from Lm15,000 to Lm27,000.

In four separate court rulings, Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera upheld the bail requests filed by Mario Camilleri known as L-Imniehru, Emmanuel Camilleri, David Victor Bonnici and Alfred Bugeja, known as Il-Porporina.

The rulings referred to an administrative delay through which the proceedings had been slowed down. The court, the magistrate said, could not accept that an administrative error would interfere in the order of the proceedings or be of prejudice to a defendant.

Awarded over Lm2,000 over unfair dismissal

Former SPCA executive secretary Mary Shephard was awarded Lm2,200 damages after the industrial tribunal ruled that her dismissal had been unfair.

Ms Shephard had been dismissed as executive secretary of the Society for the Protection and Care of Animals in September 2001 after having been accused of leaking to members of staff the contents of a document circulated to the committee by the treasurer.

Man acquitted of attempted murder

One of four men, standing trial for their involvement in a fight, on Friday was cleared of attempted murder by six votes to three, while his friend was cleared of complicity by seven votes to two.

After eight hours of deliberation, jurors cleared Keith Caruana, 26, of the attempted murder of Emanuel Farrugia on March 11, 2002, but found him guilty of slightly injuring him with a pointed instrument, while Anthony Joseph Portelli, 30, was cleared of complicity in the attempted murder. Caruana was, unanimously, also cleared of seriously injuring Alfred Cardona but found guilty of resisting arrest by seven votes to two.

Portelli was found not guilty, by six votes to three, of greviously injuring Cardona but was found guilty, by the same vote, of taking part in a fight in which Cardona suffered serious injuries and slightly injuring Farrugia.

The trial was put off to tomorrow when witnesses are expected to take the stand before Mr Justice Galea Debono moves on to pass judgment.

Joe Zammit Cordina dies

Veteran Actor Joe Zammit Cordina, mostly remembered for the brief words he had uttered in Maltese in Midnight Express, a good part of which was shot in Malta, died on Thursday, aged 75.

Known for his deep guttural voice and chisel-cut facial features, Zammit Cordina in 1964 had set up the first casting agency for films for actors and extras called Malta Talent Artistes.

He played the leading role in 1962 in Treasure in Malta and starred in Pulp, together with Michael Caine, Mickey Rooney, Lionel Stander and Nadia Cassing.

Protected birds seized

A Luqa man is to be charged in court after he was allegedly found in possession of 40 protected birds of different species. Among the birds found in a freezer were spoonbills, flamingos and owls.

Items used to stuff the birds were also found in the man's garage.