Weekly News Highlights

Daniel Gauci, a 24-year-old soldier from Lija, died tragically last Sunday when he fell off his motorcycle on the Salina coast road.

The accident happened opposite the Coastline Hotel at around 5.30 a.m. when the road was very slippery as a result of heavy dew. Gunner Gauci was a member of the electro-mechanical squadron of the AFM's Third Regiment.

He also worked at the Coastline as a part-timer. He was rushed to hospital in an ambulance but died soon after.

Malta replies to Brussels on spring hunting

The Government has sent its official reply to Brussels contesting the infringement procedures set in motion by the European Commission last July over spring hunting in 2004.

Sources close to the Commission said the reply, dated March 23, was being evaluated by Commission officials.

In its letter of reply, seen by The Times, the government refutes the Commission's assertion that Malta failed to fulfil its obligations under the EU Birds Directive during the first 22 days of its accession into the EU, in May of 2004.

"Malta believes it has acted in line with EU law with respect to the application of the derogation for spring hunting under article 9 of the Birds Directive. It has also acted fully within the spirit of accession negotiations," the letter, signed by Foreign Minister Michael Frendo, says.

Meanwhile, the hunting season for quail and turtledove opened on Tuesday amid warnings by the European Commission that it breaches the Birds Directive.

The European Partnership of BirdLife International, embracing 42 national conservation organisations, has condemned the opening of the spring hunting season in Malta. BirdLife also urged the Prime Minister to end spring hunting and "clamp down on poaching".

Injured marsh harrier in Gozo

A young march harrier, shot and injured in Gozo, became the first documented victim of the hunting season.

The hunters' federation (FKNK) cautioned its members on the eve of the season's opening to shoot exclusively at permitted game - quails and turtledoves.

The organisation released another picture, also of a marsh harrier, which was found by a birdwatcher in an advanced state of decomposition, suggesting it was shot well before Tuesday.

Man charged with defilement to be extradited

Lewis Muscat, 57, is to be extradited to the United States to face charges of defiling a minor several times over two years, the Court of Criminal Appeal ruled on Monday.

Muscat is wanted in California on 18 counts of defiling a girl when she was between nine and 11 years old. The offences are alleged to have taken place between June 2003 and November 2005.

Muscat, who has lived in the US for 40 years, has been fighting the request for extradition since he was first arraigned in March last year. The court, presided over by Chief Justice Vincent De Gaetano, on Monday dismissed Muscat's appeal and ordered that he be remanded in custody to await his return to the US to face charges.

Man found dead

A man, aged 40, was found lying dead in Ta' Giorni on Monday. He was certified dead by a medical team that was called on site, the police said. It was reported that the man died of a drug overdose.

More vehicles set on fire

The police are investigating another two fires which occurred on Sunday night involving a van in Zejtun and a wooden trailer in Tarxien.

No-one was injured in the incidents which are the most recent in a series of vehicle fires over the past three months, most of which are being treated by the police as arson.

Fire fighting personnel from the Civil Protection Department were called to extinguish the fires.

21 charges in 24 hours

Jeffrey Pulis, 24, Paola, who spent some 45 minutes trying to steal cash from a cash point at a petrol station in Tarxien, last Friday week, was remanded in custody on Monday facing a string of 21 charges.

Pulis was accused of attempted theft, causing voluntary damage and reckless driving.

He was also charged with attempted grievous bodily harm on Lewis Briffa, whom he tried to stab at Our Lady of Lourdes band club in Paola last Saturday week, slightly injuring and threatening Briffa and insulting him, and being in possession of a knife without a licence.

Air cylinder blast

A cylinder filled with compressed air exploded into several pieces and ripped through the roof of Multigas Ltd in Kirkop on Tuesday before ending up in a neighbouring field.

No-one was injured in the incident, which occurred after a malfunction developed while the cylinder was being filled mechanically with compressed air.

The company said preliminary investigations indicated the incident had been caused by a fault in its dedicated compressed air station, which has now been shut down until it is conclusively established what caused the incident.

Kirkop council has called for a magisterial inquiry into the incident to ensure there is no repeat.

28 illegal immigrants

A boat with 28 illegal immigrants, mostly from the Horn of Africa, was escorted to shore by the Armed Forces of Malta after it was spotted drifting close to the Birzebbuga oil tanks at about 4.50 p.m. on Tuesday.

The illegal immigrants - the first to enter Malta this year - berthed the boat at Marsaxlokk on their own steam, under the watchful eye of soldiers on board patrol craft P61 and P23.

Motorist robbed at gunpoint

Two armed men held up a motorist sitting in his car in Onorato Bres Street, Ta' Xbiex, on Tuesday and made off with an undisclosed sum of money at lunchtime, the police said.

They said the two men approached the car and demanded money from the driver at gunpoint.

No-one was injured. The thieves escaped in a car that was found later by the police.

Policeman charged with theft

A police constable on Tuesday was charged with stealing an electronic device from a boat that had been used by a group of 23 illegal immigrants who arrived in Malta last year.

The 25-year-old constable, whose name is not being published by court order, pleaded not guilty to stealing the global positioning system equipment from the boat that arrived last October 27.

Three die in separate incidents

Three men - an Enemalta Corporation employee, a 33-year-old Qormi man, and a young visitor - died in separate incidents on Wednesday.

Carmelo Galea, 56, of Safi, died after falling two storeys while working in Il-Blajjiet Street, Marsascala, at about 11 a.m.

Early in the afternoon, a 33-year-old man was found dead at Tal-Handaq in Qormi, reportedly of a drug overdose.

The third fatality occurred in the afternoon. A foreigner, of dark complexion, died after finding himself in difficulty while swimming at Ghar Qawqla, limits of Marsalforn. The man, who was given first aid by members of the Civil Protection, died on the spot.

Michael Frendo nominated for Commonwealth top job

Foreign Minister Michael Frendo has been nominated as candidate for the post of Secretary General of the Commonwealth.

A copy of a letter by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi to all Commonwealth heads of state and of government and to Commonwealth Secretary General Donald McKinnon announcing Malta's nomination was circulated to all Commonwealth High Commissions in London on Wednesday.

Dr Frendo said he considered the nomination to be a great honour and further proof of Malta's commitment to the Commonwealth as shown in the 2005 CHOGM and in his work as Foreign Minister subsequently, both as chair of the Commonwealth's Ministerial Action Group on the Harare Declaration, and as chair of the Steering Committee of Commonwealth Connects.

The election will take place at the next Commonwealth summit in Kampala, Uganda, in November, and the successful candidate will take office the following April.

Woman attacked by robbers

Concetta Abela, 46, of Zabbar, was attacked by two robbers as she was cleaning outside her house in Ghadiba Street early on Wednesday morning. She was slightly injured and was treated in hospital where she is being kept for observation.

Two hooded men approached her from behind and pushed her inside her house where they demanded money from her. They made off with around Lm800.

Valletta entry scheme

The Valletta entry payment scheme will be launched on May 1 and the V licence system will be discontinued, Government announced on Thursday.

Drivers entering Valletta between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. from Monday to Friday will pay 35c for the first hour after a free 30 minutes and an additional 35c per 30 minutes up to a maximum of Lm2.80.

All remaining hours, Sundays and public holidays will be free.

Addressing a joint news conferencee, Investments Minister Austin Gatt and Urban Development Minister Jesmond Mugliett announced the pedestrianisation of sections of Valletta - Strait, Merchants, Ordnance, South, St John's, St Lucy, St Frederick, Archbishop and Zachary Streets.

The pedestrianised part of Merchants Street and St John's Square will be paved shortly.

Flights to Barcelona

Spanish low-cost carrier Clickair will be starting twice-weekly services to Malta from Barcelona from the first week of June.

An agreement sealing the service was signed on Friday between Malta Tourism Authority chairman Sam Mifsud and Clickair CEO Alex Cruz, the MTA said.

Worker slightly injured in crane incident

A man escaped with slight injuries after the crane he was operating toppled over onto a block of three flats in Stella Maris Street, Sliema, on Thursday morning.

The crane was on the construction site of a five-star hotel being built by AX Holdings behind The Victoria hotel in Borg Olivier Street.

Foreign students were in one of the flats when the incident took place. No-one was injured.

Accused of smuggling heroin into prison

Christian and Helen Bugeja, brother and wife of Alfred Bugeja, known as Il-Porporina, on Thursday were charged with involvement in trafficking in heroin when they allegedly smuggled the drug into jail in a pair of shoes.

Lucky escape

The driver of a Volkswagen Polo and a woman passenger had a lucky escape in a spectacular car accident in St Paul's Bay early on Thursday morning. Sources said the driver lost control of the car as he was negotiating the bend near the area known as Tal-Veccja.

The car mounted the pavement and, after crashing against the iron barriers, fell a height of four metres before landing upside down on a concrete path by the sea.

Luckily, the car came to rest on its top close to the edge of the pathway.

The driver suffered only slight injuries and the woman escaped unhurt.

Alcohol, pistols seized

Customs officers seized alcohol and two pistols from a Maltese man who had just arrived by catamaran from Pozzallo late on Thursday evening.

The officers became suspicious when they saw two large reinforced bags being carried by the man who was stopped as he entered the terminal.

A search of the bag produced 120 bottles of whisky and vodka, two pistols, and a frame press, a piece of equipment used to load cartridges.

Three bullets were also found when the man's clothes were searched.

John Prescott in Malta

British Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, who was on a brief stay in Malta, on Thursday addressed a press conference after meeting Deputy Prime Minister Tonio Borg. The two sides discussed co-operation on illegal immigration, which Mr Prescott said, was high on the UK's agenda.

Mr Prescott also met President Eddie Fenech Adami, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, Foreign Minister Michael Frendo and a Labour Party delegation led by deputy leader Charles Mangion.