Mayor daughter's use of council laptop goes to court

l. farrugia

Sep 20th 2010, 09:48

@joanne farrugia you stated thus. @ dr anthony vella i think its gonzipn who is embarrasing our country even the eu knew that there was corruption involved in bwsc contract this you didnt mentioned right? can you let me know in which EU report you read that the EU KNEW THERE WAS CORRUPTION INVOLVED IN THE BWSC CONTRACT? If you do not qoute this report corruption which is not yet proved is only in the fantasy of your mind. Hope that you are not one of those frontliners in public meetings and conferences wth your mouth wide open so that you will swallow everything that is stated without evaluating things.

Eddie Vella

Sep 18th 2010, 23:28

Is the Zebbug Council there to justify one an other? I think all councillors make mistakes I give you an example:I went to Zebbug Council for a social event permit last week. I was told that I have to apply 1 month before. Other councils issue the same permit there and than. The ony council in Gozo that they don't issue a permit there and than why? because they waste their time looking what the other councillors are doing ? By not issuing these permits Gozo will be losing thousands of tourist. Where we do the event under the Qolla bajda close to Xwejni Bay. We don't bother anyone and clean the place before and after.Send e.mails to ministery of Gozo and Ministery of Tourism, Did I have an answer NO. I ask do we really want tourist coming to Gozo?? I doubt it. We lose tourist just for a simple permit for an event. Why because the councillors are not doing their duty, and make sure what comes to their office is dealt with ,because they have more nonsense things to do. Got 5 groups in October nearly 600 people, and Gozo is going to lose them.

Trevor Zahra

Sep 18th 2010, 21:50

Pajjiz tal-Mickey Mouse!!!! Embezzlement??? how pathetic and low can one go....the perfect way to encourage our councillors to take an interest and continue their work at home...well done!!!!!!!

joanna farrugia

Sep 18th 2010, 19:51

@ dr anthony vella i think its gonzipn who is embarrasing our country even the eu knew that there was corruption involved in bwsc contract this you didnt mentioned right?you mentioned this silly case which i agree that there wasnt any need to be taken to court by none of us mentioned what the councils laws are.pls dr vella if you dont want to vote to pl dont but dont bring any silly excuses for such thing.everyone is free to do what they want

Alfred Vassallo

Sep 18th 2010, 16:14

Is this really happening? Is there a legal explanation to all this fuss? Perhaps some independent lawyer may want to explain to us lesser mortals the logic behind this. Until then I’ll continue to consider the report, and the whole ensuing process as misappropriation of resources and waste of public funds. Or are we not being told the whole story?

Dr.Anthony Vella

Sep 18th 2010, 16:06

If the attitude and behaviour of this Partit Laburista Councilor is the "shape of things to come" if PL are in Government then I am surely not going to vote Labour. By condoning the behavior of this chicken brained Councilor The Labour Party is embarrassing our country.

J S Borg

Sep 18th 2010, 11:57

I think that in Gozo omerta is practiced for criminal cases but not when envy is involved.

Christine Bright

Sep 18th 2010, 11:54

My view of fairness:

1. If the mayor knew that he had to be the only user of the laptop, fine him 230e (one fourth the cost of the laptop)
2. If the person who brought such a trivial instance to justice didn't know that this wasting public resources, fine him 460e (half the cost of the laptop)

In two years the laptop would have depreciated the other one fourth and so the govt would have the money to buy a new one - to be kept exclusively at the council's office.

FB Aquilina

Sep 18th 2010, 11:29

How petty! I hope the really serious cases get this kind of treatment and exposure!

Joseph Carmel Chetcuti

Sep 18th 2010, 10:43

If the facts are as they are stated, surely this is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of. You would be laughed off in an Australian court if the prosecution brought such a charge. Do these idiots understand what impact all this has on tourists. The question I have is this: what is the real agenda behind this prosecution? Is there a political agenda here perhaps coming from some members or factions of the PN? Who authorised it?

Claire Said

Sep 18th 2010, 10:38

This is ridiculous! I think the courts should be taking more time to look at the more serious things, like the ammount of girls being date raped!!!

R Agius

Sep 18th 2010, 10:31

What a waste of resources !!!!!
............never read such a candid article !

Ray woods

Sep 18th 2010, 10:12

Some Police officers in Malta are clearly under employed - as is the Labour councillor who made the complaint. Send them to the UK- we can find them much more demanding work.

saviour visanich

Sep 18th 2010, 08:51

A real Mickey mouse country. This court case has probably already cost us, the tax payers, more than the value of the laptop. Another case which very clearly shows that party politics should never have been introduced in local councils.

Mark Zerafa

Sep 17th 2010, 21:41

X'ghandi naghmel? Nidhak jew nibki? Tal-misthija!

R. Busuttil

Sep 17th 2010, 16:56

We cannot become more ridiculous than this in this country. The prosecutors never sent a personal e-mail or a joke from their work computer? Wouldn't the economic crimes unit be more useful if they go around retail outlets booking all those who do not display prices and those who do not issue receipts. I can assure them that they will be very busy.

Wayne Scicluna

Sep 17th 2010, 15:19

BLA SENS! nahseb huma qatt ma uzaw il-laptop... min jaf kemm aw jilabu farmville waqt li jejdlek "Tini sekonda ha niccekja xihaga" hehe

Paul Cauchi

Sep 17th 2010, 13:50

Lol! Compliments to the cartoon artist :)

J. Farrugia

Sep 17th 2010, 13:21

This is beyond ridiculous!!!! If said laptop was used to operate a business, I can understand but his daughter using facebook?!!! Whats next prosecuting people for jotting down a personal note using government pens??

Get real please!! Since Im paying taxes, use my money more wisely.... This is why people consider Malta to be a 3rd world country because instead of focusing on the real issues and developing our country we spend resurces on epically making fools of our systems.

Lee Micallef

Sep 17th 2010, 12:11

Im sure the courts have better things to do than waste time and money with this silly case.

So what if his daughter used it to access facebook thats what teenagers do !! or he internet banking , its not as though he was trawling through sites which would jepordize national security !

John Azzopardi

Sep 17th 2010, 11:49

Is this a joke. Why not go after the criminals and stop wasting time on this kind of nonsense. Use of a computer by the daughter of the mayor in court. What a joke. And crime goes on and on undetected. Property cases sit ideal without ever being solved. Drug lords go undetected. etc etc. Seriously.

Roderick Theuma

Sep 17th 2010, 11:24

Is today the first of april?

I can't believe what's happening to our country this is bordering the ridiculous...

Guy Mahoney

Sep 17th 2010, 11:18

Full praise is due to our crime system and law courts. I am sure that this deserves mention in EU quarters so that other crime-riddled countries can take note of - and copy - our exemplary systems. This means that all serious crime is under control today and our law courts and police have time to dedicate on such petty and insignificant matters. Well done. Next case: the civil servant who spends most of his working day anywhere but his place of work?

M.G. Farrugia

Sep 17th 2010, 11:13

nistaqsi li kull min qieghed juza computer tax-xoghol, b'email address tal-gvern jigifieri jispiċċa @gov.mt u allura dawn l-emails f'hafna kazi jintbaghtu ukoll waqt il-hin tax-xoghol qed jikser il-ligi. Jekk ir-risposta hija fl-affirmattiv. biex inkun modest hemm nofs ic-Civil li qed jaghmel hekk. Jiena, u bhali hawn hafna oħrajn nircievu l-emails bl-indirizzi tal-Gvern.,

J. Borg

Sep 17th 2010, 11:05

Only in Malta (& Gozo)

So a MAYOR having a laptop which at times is used for personal purposes lands him in Court....

whilst a MINISTER who confirms to have accepted freebies by BIG businessmen (including free flights to watch football games abroad and/or free yachting trips) - including those who indirectly he's supposed to regulate - is blessed.

Are "we" going insane ?!

Andrew Gatt

Sep 17th 2010, 10:56

What a bloody waste of taxpayer's money. And why, may I ask, are trivial and banal cases like this one treated with such urgency and efficiency?

Because most court cases (usually much more serious and important) sure are not. Years (if not decades!) to get anywhere.

J.Camilleri

Sep 17th 2010, 10:35

Dan suppost pajjiz nisrani u tipprova tghin il-proxxmu u jekk jaghmel zball tipprova ttaffi l-ferita u mhux taghmel xalata biha! Nispera li serhu l-istonku tieghu b'din l-istorja redikola u jhossu kburi li ghamel xoghlu sewwa minghajr ma' qed jirrejalizza kemm waqa tac-cajt hu stess bil-karattru 'sabih' l-ghandu. Ara vera pajjiz tat-tielet dinja u jekk mhux ghar... ghax mill-hazin ghall xejsewwa.com

John Doneo

Sep 17th 2010, 10:33

To all the people saying that this is a joke..An allegation was made by a LABOUR COUNCILLOR, against PN councillors. This have to be investigated. I wonder if the shoe was on the other foot, if we would hear these people complaining. In my eyes if it is company property and you are using it for private use without permission, then you are stealing broadband time ((money).

albert leone ganado

Sep 17th 2010, 10:32

What a waste of taxpayer's money. The economic crimes unit would be better employed to investigate more serious money matters such as how ordinary bank clients were duped into investing into a scheme intended for professional investors.
As for the councillor who raised such a petty matter I am sure his locality has more urgent matters to which he could dedicate his time unless of course there is more to this story that what we as outsiders know.

Steve Mizzi

Sep 17th 2010, 10:24

If there was any justice the Magistrate would throw the book at the Inspector for wasting the Court's time and squandering public funds by pursuing a frivolous case that is not in the public's interest to pursue.

Unless nipped in the bud, this will create a dangerous precedent, based on this Inspector's reasoning anyone who uses a work computeris liable to be prosecuted or fired for accessing the Times of Malta website.

Thinking about it I should fire myself for writing this comment on my company's laptop.

Emanuel Farrugia

Sep 17th 2010, 10:19

Ghandu ghalfejn il-poplu malti jkompli jgholli 'l moral fuq il-Kunsilli Lokali li hawn f'dan il-pajjiz. Qieghed jidher car, kemm hawn membri serji fil-Kunsilli Lokali, ghax ta' kuljum storja mahmuga aktar minn ohra. Rizorsi mohlija.


Emanuel Farrugia former Executive Secretary Mtarfa Local Council

Nathalie Gilford

Sep 17th 2010, 10:11

Ara biex irridu nghaljenaw in-nies f'dan il-pajjiz!!!! Ahjar jghidulna fejn qed imorru il-flus li qed inhallsu fit-taxxi!!!!!!

Povru tfajla!!! min jaf min xhiex ghaddejja bhalissa, kemm qed thossa responsabbli ta dan l-ghemil tant innocenti!!

Min ma jghamilx uzu personali min fuq il-laptop jew pc li jkollu ghad dispozizjoni tieghu????!!!!!!!! Min hu bla htijja jitfa l-ewwel gebla.............

Joan Muscat

Sep 17th 2010, 10:04

Can all the teachers, who were all provided with a laptop to take home, swear that none of their children ever made use of the laptop to access facebook?

JOHN O SCERRI

Sep 17th 2010, 10:02

When ? shall we here about some lawyer, member of parliament, minister, architect, huge business person , consultant physician,or other professional who will be sentenced to jail term for not paying due income tax??? that will be the day.

Laptop my foot .is this the joke of the week or are we so distracted from more serious news items that if a rat crosses the road and is smashed by a car this will become news item as well.

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING....except for ..as usual...WASTED tax payers' money.

Muscat D

Sep 17th 2010, 09:47

Do the police have anything better to do? This is a waste of public funds. I'm sure their services could have been put to better use. There again, seeing that they took the person to court, maybe not.

J Farrugia

Sep 17th 2010, 09:44

My dear Charles Saliba, forget about returning the party card as you did. Go back collect it once more and get back to your useful work and let the labour mischievous lot shout as much as they like. You are an asset to the party and the work you have done in your locality merits gratitude and not resignations. Your resignation was uncalled for like that of Elizabeth Vella of St Venera. Both of you are strong assets of the PN and should be ashamed that Secretary General who accepted both your resignations. PBO should now resign and allow someone else more competent than this oaf to take his place. Ah Joe sSalliba where art thou? Get this PN together again. These foolish shenanighans at locality levels must stop once and for all.

Alex Ciantar

Sep 17th 2010, 09:38

is it 1st of April yet? because I thought it was an April fools joke when I read the article........I think Muscat should give a good talking to the labour counsellor for bringing up such a ridicules case to the the attention of the OPM and I think Gonzi should look into this case personally and stop this farce ......what has this country come to ....really please stop wasting our money in piques and stop making Malta look so bloody stupid in front of the whole world...........

ONLY IN MALTA !!

Richard Granville Scrowston

Sep 17th 2010, 09:37

The world has gone crazy, hasn't it? I work for my local council here in the UK and am allocated a laptop. I once asked if it was ok for me to use it at home and the answer was "this is a grey area". And so, I went out and bought a much better quality laptop with which I am now communicating with you. I get so angry with the pettiness of so called "authority".
Because I carry the council laptop in the boot of my beloved Jaguar motor car, I am increasing my carbon footprint. Perhaps, I should join in the silliness and bill my local council for the extra fuel that I use during non-work time when their laptop is travelling in the boot of my car. I know what they'd say - "you should have taken it from your car".
For this matter to go to Court is laughable in the extreme, here in the UK a massive proportion of MPs fiddled their expenses and nearly all of them got away with it. A Mayor's daughter using a Council laptop is hardly the crime of the century. Common sense will prevail.
Regards,
Richard Granville Scrowston.

T Pace

Sep 17th 2010, 09:37

The charges are the absolute height of absurdity.

apgrech

Sep 17th 2010, 09:34

This report should be in the humour section of the newspaper. This is not a farce, this is waste of time.

Perhaps the mayor and his daughter should be given 20 years jail sentence and after released they should be exiled to Filfla.

Is there a motive behind these charges? Doesn't sound kosher to me!!!

Luciano Mule Stagno

Sep 17th 2010, 09:34

wouldn't it be nice if this was actually the biggest issue of misappropriation of funds or improper use of public equipment?

Charles Grima

Sep 17th 2010, 09:33

Ridikoli kollha kemm intkom!!!!

1. B'920 Ewro kontu tixtru 3 laptops minghand l-ikbar hanut f'malta (tiehdu wiehed kull wiehed)

2. Li jiehu laptop id-dar u tuzah it-tifla huwa kaz ta qorti?

3. Tal-labour misskom ghandkom iktar x'taghmlu milli taqghu ghal hmerijiet. Mhux ta b'xejn ilkhom taqilghu tkaxkiriet.

4. Ahjar rajtu x'ghamiltu fuq dawk -imwiet tan-nar....

Dspiteri

Sep 17th 2010, 09:04

Monkey business, as far as I know, many local councils offer free internet service to their residents, any one can go to the council and make use of their Personal Computer, of course they have an exra PC just for the use of the public. The mayors daughter is one of the local reidence with the advatage that she had the laptop instead of the PC. obvoiusly because she is a Mayor's trusty person. "Personal banking" the government has to fire all his office workers. after all if the mayor uses internet banking he has more time to offer for the locality then wasting his time waiting at the Bank branch

Carmel Garcia

Sep 17th 2010, 08:56

Ara veru m'ghandniex biex nghaddu z-zmien tafux... Ghax tifla forsi b'innocenza dahlet fuq il-facebook fuq laptop spiccajna nonfqu il-liri mit-taxxi taghna f'kawza banali. Veru sewwa kien qal John Bundy, bir-rispett lejn il-karatru, 'pajjiz tal-Mickey Mouse'. Ahjar naraw sew fejn qieghda l-kriminalita'. Taraha quddiem wiccek u ma taghtix kasha, ghas-semplici raguni ghax aljenati bil-hazin ta' l-ohrajn. Ara veru trid tkun ghami biex ma tarax travu daqs dinja f;ghajnejk. X'ipokresija. Ja oqbra mbajda.

Paul Caruana

Sep 17th 2010, 08:54

My sympathies go to the mayor.

Now by that I do not mean that I condone his inappropiate use of a publically funded laptop, but at the same time his arraigment in court is nothing but one of a number of smokescreens being set up by the powers that be, in a rather lame and cyinical attempt to divert attention from the far more serious cases of corruption that are occuring at the national level.

Were I a local councillor, I would be furious at the way local councils are being used as scapegoats!

j camilleri

Sep 17th 2010, 08:33

This is so pathetic and revolting at the same time.

Its either that this country ranks of hypocracy, or we're being taken for a ride as there's more wrongdoing than meets the eye but is being kept under wraps.

In both scenarios, I pity this country.

K Vella

Sep 17th 2010, 08:10

Storm in a teacup....

Ignatius Harrison

Sep 17th 2010, 07:58

A storm in a teacup!

J Farrugia

Sep 17th 2010, 07:50

This is truly a waste of preciouos police time just because this Labhour counciller is envious of the Mayor. And the Police played into his hands. It would have been much better if the police involved are sent out to control traffic instead of wasting the court's time and the people's money. They should be dismissed for pressing such uncalled for charges just because the daughter of a public official accessed her father's laptop. Then the police should start invvestigating ALL PUBLIC OFFICIAL from the PPS down to the least official who has a publicly fundded laptop to be taken home with him. That would be a tough list for this Inspector and his foolish collegues. They should be ashamed showing their faces in court. Ahjar imorru jduru dawra ma dawk li qed ihaddmu impjanti bla permess, kontra l-ligi u b'periklu kbir ghas-sahha u l-hajja tal-poplu.

Matthew Galea

Sep 17th 2010, 07:07

Isn't this getting a little too far fetched? If the daughter used the laptop to access FB what is the big deal?

Joe Zammit

Sep 17th 2010, 06:21

With all the illegalities happening around in Malta are the police not wasting time on such a senseless case? Why does not the police take the same action on all the employees (being goverment or private) to see how many of them also use an office computer for personal use during working hours? At least Mr.Saliba was not using it for personal use during working hours! Lets get real

Alex Ciantar

Sep 17th 2010, 06:13

Get real.

Bobby Done

Sep 17th 2010, 05:52

What a wast of time and money.. she used the laptop SO WHAT??? Just facebook she went on so what is the crime.. ??

Qedin Sew!!

james hetfield

Sep 17th 2010, 04:54

Oh god , this is comperable to taking a whole toilet role from a public convenience toilet , and being charged for misspropriating public funds

J. J. Borg

Sep 17th 2010, 04:53

Mhux ta b'xejn tmur l-ghassa u ma ssib lil hadd. Ikunu kollha biezla, biezla jiccekkjaw il-laptops tal-kunsillieri mela.

Joe Gatt

Sep 17th 2010, 02:59

This must be a Frigin joke right?

Conrad M

Sep 17th 2010, 02:43

What a stupid story....not even worth the paper it is printed on. Had this mayor had the right for a car, as is the case for most mayors in foreign countries, would he be bound to use it exclusively from his residence to the council and back? I mean is the police force serious? Do we want to waste time on such trivial issues when we have criminals on the loose? Is this mayor's contribution to his locality not even worthy of a laptop which he can use as he deems fit? What next...hang up on people who call him on his cell phone not exclusively to discuss council / locality matters?

Mario Skinder

Sep 17th 2010, 01:08

So what.
Not a big deal.

Joseph W. Galea

Sep 17th 2010, 00:06

It is obvious that there is not much to do in Gozo if they have to spend this much because someone used a council computer for a little while.

Amazing, it has probably already cost twice more than the computer is worth to prosecute. What a ridiculous situation!!

Surely, there must be many more worth while problems to tackle..

Victor Vella

Sep 16th 2010, 23:46

WOW so the Mayor took the lap top home an dhis daughter like all kids was excited and wanted to use it, she accessed her face book account , The the labour coucillor writes to the OPM and reports the case, big deal , doesn;t the Labour councillor have better things to do.Isn't this a waste of public money, shouldn't the economic crime squad be more economic with our money?

Mark Sammut

Sep 16th 2010, 22:43

Ta' Dahq!

John Atanasio

Sep 16th 2010, 22:40

lol. Ara vera ma ghandhomx fejn jahlu t-taxxi taghna. Mhux ahjar tindel tharsu u tinvestigaw affarijeit serji milli din f gieh kemm hemm.

M Sammut

Sep 16th 2010, 22:39

Fej irridu jiehdu il-passi!! Ta dahq!

Ernest Vella

Sep 16th 2010, 22:39

uweja...ghax it-tifla uzat il-laptop biex tidhol facebook, b'daqshekk kisret il-ligi...Mela vera pajjiz tad-dahk....fejn il-kriminali jigru mas-saqajn u l-innocenti qed jispiccaw vittmi ta nies li m'ghandhomx x'jaghmlu. X'jahti s-sindku u x'tahti bintu...kieku uzah ghal pornografija nghid,,,,imma biex tidhol tara l-fb taghha b'daqshekk kisret il-ligi.

nsaqi jien...allura narrestaw l-ghalliema li inghataw laptop jekk jidhlu facebook jew youtube jew xi sit iehor popolari? Imissu jisthi min kiteb l-ittra fuq din ic-cucata...imissna nisthu...qed thammru wicc pajjizna

S. Camilleri

Sep 16th 2010, 22:39

I hope that the magistrate on the case throws out the case AND charges the prosecuting Inspector for frivolous use of the courts time!!!!

p.s. I am no relative nor friend or acquaintance of said mayor and had never been aware of the person's identity until this case came up

David Hill

Sep 16th 2010, 22:37

And then there are all the pens and pencils that get taken home and used by family menbers.
Are the people whi do this also going to be accused of misappropriation and embezzlement of property, if so will there be anyone left working in Malta?
It's a possible crime to have a work laptop used at home by a child but it's OK to approve building plans and such like for friends?
What a strange form of morality.

C Tonna

Sep 16th 2010, 22:32

ma nistawx naqaw izjed ac cajt fdan il pajjiz ...
dijn haga li andek alfej itela bniedem il qorti biha ?
jigru tant affarijiet irgiet jabuzaw nisa ...
dijn raw ?

A Azzopardi

Sep 16th 2010, 22:15

Ridiculous!