Weekly News highlights

The Government has suspended hunting at sea and is rounding up all wild ducks in new measures aimed at keeping away the deadly H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus.

In a further move, cars arriving from Sicily on the catamaran will be disinfected, after wild swans on the island, just 100 km to the north, tested positive for bird flu yesterday week.

These three precautionary measures were announced last Monday by Rural Affairs Minister George Pullicino.

Charles Arrigo dies

Veteran Broadcaster, Charles Arrigo, whose distinctive voice has narrated news, novels, and national events, on radio and television, in a career spanning almost 60 years, died on Monday aged 76.

He collapsed at Public Broadcasting Services, where he was carrying out the job to which he had dedicated a great part of his life. He passed away in hospital.

Mr Arrigo's career started in 1947 when he became the first Maltese male announcer to be employed with Rediffusion, the cable radio network. His funeral was held at Naxxar parish church on Wednesday.

Two on murder charge granted bail

Anthony Bugeja and Piero Di Bartolo, charged with the murder of Brian Rosso, whose body has not yet been found, last week were granted bail on condition that they do not leave their homes without permission from the court. They were each bound by a Lm20,000 deposit and a personal guarantee of the same amount.

Bugeja, 37, and Di Bartolo, 31, are pleading not guilty to Rosso's murder on October 10, 2005, and to hiding his body.

Prisoner still on the run

AN Algerian prisoner who escaped from prison last Sunday is still on the run. He was remanded in custody last April after being charged with trafficking in over a kilo of heroin and committing the crime within 100 metres of a school or youth centre.

Anybody with information on the prisoner is asked to phone the police on 2122-1111 or 2122-4001.

MUT calls for schools for unruly children

THE Malta Union of Teachers (MUT) has called on the education authorities to put unruly students in special schools, claiming that the problem of disobedience is getting out of hand.

Last year, Education Minister Louis Galea had announced that a new institution will be formed this year to cater for expelled students.

On Monday, he requested the National School Discipline Board to probe a student assault, which left a young teacher injured last Wednesday week and draw up a detailed report of the incident.

But at a meeting on Monday night, the MUT council accused the minister of "all talk and no action" and announced a rally for its members to discuss the next step.

Fined for cocaine possession

Salvu Muscat, who claimed he formed part of a drug awareness group, on Tuesday was fined Lm700 for possessing 4.5 grams of cocaine, but was cleared of planning to sell the drug.

Magistrate Lawrence Quintano heard Muscat, 42, explain that he worked against drugs and had purchased the cocaine in a controlled delivery with the intention to take it for testing.

This formed part of the investigative work he carried out as an active member in a drug awareness group called Safer Dance Culture.

Fake sports shoes seized

A TOTAL of 26,864 pairs of fake Nike sports shoes and 510 boxes containing plastic slippers were seized by Customs officers over the last few days following a surveillance operation on several containers.

Three containers arriving from the Far East on their way to North Africa were intercepted after Maltese Customs detected discrepancies in the documentation.

Defilement charge

Cuomo Rea, a 40-year-old Neapolitan residing in Sliema, on Wednesday was charged with defiling a 17-year-old Maltese girl at Msida two days earlier. He pleaded not guilty.

Rea was granted bail on condition he does not approach the girl or her family and was bound by a personal guarantee of Lm5,000.

Sant calls for Tony Abela's resignation

Opposition Leader Alfred Sant on Wednesday called on the Prime Minister to safeguard the integrity of the Government by removing Parliamentary Secretary Tony Abela if he did not resign.

Dr Sant, speaking on the adjournment in Parliament, said that he was demanding Notary Abela's removal because of his involvement with Indri Zammit, a prominent canvasser and three others from the Ajaca Fishing Company. Dr Abela and Mr Zammit between them owned a 50 per cent shareholding in this company.

Notary Abela had claimed he severed connections with Zammit 12 years ago - after Zammit was convicted of trying to smuggle Lm10,000 worth of contraband, was fined Lm30,000 and given a suspended prison sentence - and a process was started to liquidate Ajaca in 1994.

Seven more recent documents in the Registry of Companies, however, all confirmed that no such liquidation had taken place. Yet Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi last month said he believed Notary Abela's version of events and, for him, the case was closed.

Maltese MEPs back Services Directive

ALL five Maltese MEPs on Thursday voted in favour of the final resolution approving the controversial Services Directive, which is intended to open up the EU's services sector.

Three students charged with stealing exam paper

THREE fifth formers on Thursday were charged with breaking into their school yesterday week and stealing an examination paper.

The three boys - a 15-year-old from Zabbar, a 16-year-old from Cospicua and a 16-year-old from Fgura - all pleaded not guilty to stealing the examination paper from Guzeppi Despott Junior Lyceum in Cospicua, and causing less than Lm10 damage at the school at around midnight.

The magistrate granted the three students bail against a personal guarantee of Lm500 each, and placed them under the supervision of a probation officer.

Parents of dead teenagers demand damages

The Parents of five Qrendi teenagers who died in a traffic accident last October filed a judicial letter on Thursday calling on the driver of the van carrying their sons to make good for the damages sustained.

The driver, 22-year-old Antoine Cassar, is facing charges on involuntarily causing the death of David Sacco, 13, Fabio Magro, 16, and 17-year-olds Marco Abdilla, Oswaldo Emanuel Vella and Christian Camilleri.

The victims' parents addressed the judicial letter to Mr Cassar, Sean Briffa and Dorianne Farrugia. The latter two were in another car that may have been involved in the accident.

Charged with stabbing

Emanuel Grima, 53 of Victoria, was granted bail on Thursday against a deposit of Lm250 and a personal guarantee of Lm2,000, but placed under house arrest after being charged with attempted murder.

Grima was accused of trying to kill Lawrence Attard by stabbing him in St Francis Square, Victoria, last Tuesday.

Man charged with murder granted bail

David Norbert Schembri, 29, charged with fatally stabbing his former partner, and whose bail had been revoked two months ago, last week was again granted bail after the Criminal Court ruled that the Attorney General had failed to issue the bill of indictment within the prescribed time.

Schembri is pleading not guilty to the murder of 32-year-old Josette Scicluna, the mother of his daughter, when he allegedly stabbed her some 49 times in her San Gwann apartment on May 3, 2004.

Schembri was granted bail last November 2 but, on December 23, his bail was revoked as a urine sample had tested positive for the presence of drugs.

Gozitan woman stable

A 25-YEAR-OLD Gozitan woman was in danger of dying after the roof of a private residence in Xaghra caved in on Friday evening. However, by yesterday her condition was stable.

The woman was taken to Gozo General Hospital but was later transferred to St Luke's after she was certified to be in danger of losing her life.

The police are investigating.

Jailed for holding woman against her will

Jean Claude Cassar, 21, of St Paul's Bay, on Friday was jailed for 13 months when he admitted to holding the mother of his child against her will on two separate occasions.

Magistrate Giovanni Grixti heard Cassar plead guilty to holding Nadia Grech against her will, using violence against her, and slightly injuring her in Lija in November 2002 and again in April 2003.

Arrested over heroin find

A Libyan, Khaled Elhadi Elbizanti, was arrested at the airport on Thursday evening after allegedly trying to smuggle in just over one and a half kilos of heroin.

The Customs Department said the 32-year-old arrived in Malta on a scheduled flight from Libya.

Woman released after bill of indictment is withdrawn

THE Criminal Court has ordered the release of an Englishwoman, Susan Jayne Molyneaux, charged with importing cocaine and Ecstasy into Malta from Spain, after the Attorney-General withdrew the bill of indictment he had filed against her.

The bill alleged that, on August 11, 2003, Molyneaux and her boyfriend had come to Malta via Spain. They were stopped on arrival at the airport and, during a search in the luggage of Molyneaux's boyfriend, the police found two parcels containing over three kilos of cocaine and another two parcels containing a total of 7,100 Ecstasy pills.

Boffa, Zammit Clapp services to be moved

Long-Term solutions, presented by Health Minister Louis Deguara on Friday, included the transfer of Boffa Hospital's oncology department to Zammit Clapp in St Julian's, and the latter's rehabilitation services to be provided from a new block at the St Vincent De Paul Hospital in Luqa.

All this is part of the government's effort to meet the needs of an aging population and tackle overcrowding at St Luke's Hospital.

Teenager charged with two hold-ups

A Teenage Boy on Friday was charged with carrying out two armed hold-ups and stealing two cars since last November.

Magistrate Abigail Lofaro heard the 17-year-old, from Sta Lucija, plead not guilty to stealing cash and a cash register from the Three Villages Bar in Balzan and holding Concetta and Maria Grech against their will on January 10.

He also pleaded not guilty to carrying out a second hold-up the following day and stealing cash and the cash register from Ta' Gormina Bakery and Confectionery in L-Iklin, holding employee Roxanne Borg against her will and taking her mobile phone.