Weekly News highlights

In his Budget Speech on Monday, Prime Minister and Finance Miuister Lawrence Gonzi announced a revision of capital gains tax on property sales and a weekly wage increase of Lm2.25. Other measures include new incentives for the film industry; tax credits for research and development, and for companies setting up back office operations and e-businesses in Malta; higher spending on tourism marketing and branding; higher allocation for Malta Enterprise; the privatisation of the yacht marinas and sale of shares in Tug Malta and Bank of Valletta; additional refunds on the purchase of solar energy products and photovoltaic equipment; pricing policy for pharmaceuticals; and assistance for child care centres.

The Prime Minister also tabled the final report on pension reform, submitted to the government by a Working Group on June 30.

Tigné Point application approved

The final development application plans for a residential apartment block and a 17,000 m2 retail centre at Tigné Point have been approved by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA).

This is the last in the Tigné south residential scheme and includes 59 units situated in one of the most tranquil quarters of this car-free zone.

Three arraigned over bogus charity collection

Two men and a woman - Arturo Busuttil, 43, of Birzebbuga, Joseph Meilaq, 22, of Bugibba, and Bernadette Xuereb, 18, of Mellieha, on Tuesday were charged with defrauding 80-year-old Maria Carmela Bellizzi when they allegedly knocked at her door claiming they were collecting money for charity. They pleaded not guilty to defrauding Ms Bellizzi and the Catholic Action's Social Assistance Secretariat of under Lm1,000.

Mayor sues MP for libel

Marsascala mayor Charlot Mifsud on Tuesday filed a libel suit in the Magistrates' Court against Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, who he claimed had libelled him when he said that the mayor had spent thousands of liri in public funds on consultancy fees.

National Reform Programme launched

The National Reform Programme - which encompasses an investment of €227,569,863 in a bid to secure the country's competitiveness, economic growth and job creation in terms of the EU's Lisbon Agenda, was launched by Competitiveness Minister Censu Galea on Wednesday.

The implementation of the programme - which will run up to 2008 - will be financed locally and through various EU programmes.

Teenager charged with possessing Ecstasy

On Wednesday a teenager was charged with the possession of 47 Ecstasy pills in circumstances denoting they were not for his personal use.

The teenager pleaded guilty to the charge and Magistrate Lawrence Quintano put off the case for judgment.

Armed robbery in Zebbug

Three hooded men robbed a petrol station in Zebbug on Wednesday afternoon.

The robbers stopped at the station in a car at about 3.30 p.m. when one of them, brandishing a gun, ordered the attendant to hand over a pouch containing the station's cash.

Soldiers posed as policemen, robbed man

Two soldiers - Douglas Desira, 34, of Qormi, and Patrick Kinmont, 38, of St Paul's Bay, on Wednesday were put on probation for three years after they admitted to posing as police officers, holding a man against his will and taking his belongings.

The men pleaded guilty to stealing Emanuel Meli's gold chain, watch and mobile phone on August 2, 2003.

Ex-bank employee on fraud charges

A former bank employee, whose name cannot be published by a court order, on Wednesday was charged with forging the signature of his now estranged wife to obtain two loans from the bank where he worked.

The man pleaded not guilty.

Customs seize 16 million smuggled cigarettes

Sixteen million smuggled cigarettes were seized on Thursday by the Customs Department in two containers - the largest haul of its kind in Malta.

The case goes back to the middle of last month when the vessel Iran Ilam arrived in Malta carrying containers destined for the island as well as for transhipment. The vessel's last port of call before Malta was Dubai and it was then headed for Benghazi, Libya.

The cigarettes were discovered in two 40-foot containers, hidden behind boxes of car spare parts. Following a routine inspection by the Freeport's Customs Monitoring Unit, the containers were detained for a second examination.

Discrepancies between the actual merchandise and that documented prompted the Customs authorities to order the containers open.

Birds did not die of flu

Tests have confirmed that the birds found dead aboard a ship at the Freeport last week did not die of avian influenza, the government said on Thursday. Samples from the birds were sent to the Weybridge Laboratory in Surrey, UK, to remove any suspicion related to the incident.

Belgian on hunger strike

A Belgian national, Serge Geryl, has been on hunger strike since a magistrate ruled last week he would be extradited to his home country where he was sentenced to a 10-year jail term.

Speaking to The Times, Geryl's common-law wife Kristine Vande Voorde confirmed he was refusing food because he feared that being sent to a Belgian prison would mean sending him to his death.

She said her partner's life was under threat by a gang leader who was jailed when Geryl exposed him to Belgian police. She said there was also a document by the police commissioner in Belgium saying Geryl's life was in danger.

Pleads guilty to 16 thefts

Dominic Abela, 44, of Hamrun, on Thursday admitted to 16 counts of theft since the beginning of October.

Abela, who pleaded guilty to stealing items including handbags, briefcases and wallets, between October 6 and November 1, was granted bail against a personal guarantee of Lm5,000.

Sea Malta sale to go ahead

Sea Malta will be taken over by Atlantica di Navigazione SpA, a member of the Grimaldi Group of Naples, on November 18 after the government and the GWU announced separately that an agreement on the workers' future had been reached during a meeting on Friday morning.

Last month, Atlantica initialled an agreement to buy the government's 69 per cent share in Sea Malta, which was conditional on agreement with the GWU. One last pending issue is the employees' tour of duty. While workers currently enjoyed a tour of duty of 15 days on, 15 days off, the Italian firm had proposed four months on, four months off.

The ministry said on Friday that the company and the GWU would discuss in detail the new seafarers' duties in line with the second offer. In the meantime, there will be a transition period between the current 15 days on/15 days off and the new system. This period will end on December 31.