Weekly News highlights

In Two separate judgments, the Court of Appeal last week confirmed two rulings of the First Hall of the Civil Court ordering Maria Isabella Turkdogan, a former lido manager, to pay Lm46,000 to the owner of Jumbo Lido, Sliema. In 1999, VAB Ltd filed a writ requesting the court to condemn Turkdogan to pay Lm23,000 due under the terms of a 1997 management agreement.

School employees dismissed

Two school employees were dismissed and stripped of their warrants in the past 10 years after being found guilty of sex-related offences; another three are suspended awaiting a court decision, Dr Cecilia Borg, director-general of education, said last week.

The revelation came in the wake of comments by Children's Commissioner Sonia Camilleri who hoped to discuss the setting up of a national register for paedophiles this year. The Education Division requires police conduct certificates when recruiting teachers.

Former police chief wins libel damages

Former Police Commissioner Lawrence Pullicino on Monday was awarded Lm600 in libel damages by the Civil Court. In 1998, Dr Pullicino had claimed that on April 22, 1997, a news item by Gordon Pisani on Radio 101, of which Richard Muscat was editor, had alleged that he had been given privileged treatment while in prison.

Xemxija excavations do not have permit

Excavation Works carried out by Polidano Brothers in Xemxija - just before a mudslide left part of an adjacent apartment block suspended in mid-air - had no permit or any form of sanctioning, MEPA said last week. The area even falls outside the development scheme. Two enforcement notices were issued in connection with work on this site over the years but excavations continued sporadically until the mudslide two weeks ago.

Fuel prices go up

Unleaded Petrol and lead replacement petrol (LRP) went up by 1c per litre and diesel and paraffin by 1c4 last Wednesday. Prices are calculated on the price paid by Enemalta Corporation for the last consignment of fuel supplies. A litre of unleaded petrol will now cost 47c6, LRP 50c6, diesel 41c9 and paraffin 41c5.

Air Malta to pay Lm10,000

Air Malta on Tuesday was ordered by the Civil Court to pay almost Lm10,000 in damages to a Lloyds syndicate. The insured, Michelle Zammit, who traded under the name of Electron Computers, claimed that two cartons of computer parts that were to be flown to Malta on April 7, 2002 and held until she collected them had gone missing.

The insurers claimed they had reimbursed Ms Zammit for the missing parts and were entitled to compensation from the airline.

Three arrested in drugs raid

Two Men and a woman were arrested on Tuesday after the police found heroin and cannabis resin in a raid at a Zabbar residence, following a tip-off. The house was kept under surveillance for a few days and police and arrested persons who had obtained drugs after calling there.

Former High Commissioner wins libel appeal

The Court of Appeal on Tuesday overturned a Civil Court judgment, and ruled that an article published in In-Nazzjon on January 7, 1999, had libelled Malta's former High Commissioner to Britain, Richard Matrenza. The article, entitled "£1,687 f'Lozor u Xugamani (£1,687 spent on sheets and towels), was written by Joe Mikallef. Joseph Zahra was the newspaper's editor.

Boy on drug trafficking charge

A 16-Year-Old boy from Ta' Xbiex on Wednesday was charged with trafficking in cannabis two years ago. He pleaded not guilty.

Charged with knife attack

Jason Vella, 34, of Qormi, on Wednesday was charged with seriously injuring his neighbour with a knife on Monday morning. Vella pleaded not guilty to assaulting and injuring Alfred Felice and to possessing a knife without a licence. He was granted bail against a personal guarantee of Lm1,000 and on condition he did not approach any of the prosecution's witnesses and Felice's relatives.

Guilty of assaulting nurses

David Sciberras, 40, of St Paul's Bay, on Wednesday was given a six-month jail term suspended for three years and placed under a supervision order for three years after he admitted to assaulting three nurses, slightly injuring one, at Mount Carmel Hospital in May 2004. He also admitted to breaching the conditions of a previous release.

Briton dies in car accident

Alan Gary Paul, a 38-year-old Briton living in Mellieha died in a traffic accident in St Paul's Bay, early on Thursday morning. His passenger, fellow Briton Rebecca Daniels of Salina, was seriously injured. Mr Paul lost control of his Peugeot 406, and hit a bus shelter before crashing into an electricity pole. He died on the spot.

Baptism of Christ tops euro poll

Giuseppe Mazzuoli's sculpture, The Baptism of Christ, at St John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta has topped the poll on what should grace the face of Malta's euro coins. Second placed was the Maltese coat-of-arms, and third the altar at the prehistoric temple of Mnajdra. Almost 17,000 votes were cast in a nationwide text message and phone poll. The euro is expected to be introduced in Malta in 2008.

€5 million in EU funds for Malta-Italy projects

Eleven, mainly cultural, projects in Malta and Sicily will benefit from €5.09 million in EU funding under the Italy-Malta Programme, which aims to strengthen bilateral co-operation. The projects were chosen from 48 proposals submitted jointly by Maltese and Italian organisation; the majority of the projects are expected to start by next month and be completed in 2008.

Motorcyclist wins Lm12,000 damages

Damian Micallef, who was injured in a traffic accident in 2001, last week was awarded almost Lm12,000 in damages. Micallef filed his writ against Rita Bonello claiming he had been driving a motorbike in Mdina Road, Attard, when he was involved in an accident with a car driven by Bonello.

Lm4,000 damages over fight

A Fight between two San Gwann men in 1989 led the Civil Court to order payment of damages of almost Lm4,000. Anthony Caruana claimed William Mock, who lived in the same block of flats, had provoked him, attacked him, beaten him with a piece of metal and bitten his left ear on October 1, 1989. Mr Mock argued he had acted in self-defence.

Man admits to paying judges in bribery case

Joseph Zammit, known as Is-Sej, one of four men charged with complicity in bribing former Chief Justice Noel Arrigo and former Judge Patrick Vella, pleaded guilty on Friday. He told Magistrate Abigail Lofaro how he handed over Lm5,000 each to the judges after they reduced the jail term of drug trafficker Mario Camilleri when they presided over his appeal in 2002. Zammit had been charged with Camilleri and his son Pierre, and businessman Anthony John Grech Sant. All had originally pleaded not guilty.

New drinking regulations for minors

A New Regulation banning the consumption of alcohol by under-16-year-olds, who could be fined if caught, has been approved by Cabinet. The sale of alcohol to minors is already prohibited by law but it is known that adults often buy alcohol for them. Under the amendments, a person simply giving a drink to a minor will also be subject to a fine. Minors will only face a fine, not legal action.

Higher Education Commission launched

Revising curricula to ensure the highest level of academic content while responding to the changing needs of the labour market is one of the goals of the newly appointed National Commission for Higher Education.

Chaired by economist Joseph F.X. Zahra, the commission is expected to formulate recommendations on the vision and strategy of higher education. The commission is made up of Jacques Sciberras (deputy chairman), an economic policy analyst, with Professor Juanito Camilleri, Jennifer Casingena Harper, Dr Alex Manché, Alex Mifsud and Micheline Sciberras as members.

Appeal dismissed over misspelt name

An Appeal filed by Emanuel Gauci, who had been jailed for five years for importing cocaine, backfired when a judge declared it to be null as the man's name was spelt with an extra 'm' - precisely the same misspelling on which the defence was basing the appeal. Gauci had also been fined Lm3,000 when the Magistrates' Court found him guilty of importing 2.2 kg of cocaine from Canada into Malta on and before April 23, 2001.