timesofmalta.com

Daily Express highlights power billing discrimination against foreigners in Malta

Sun, 19 May 2013 09:29:00 +0200

The mass-selling Daily Express has highlighted the complaints of Britons and other foreigners living in Malta who are being ‘ripped off’ in electricity billing. The charges affect more than 25,000 EU nationals, many of whom retired to the island looking for a better life, the newspaper says. “Patricia Graham has been left almost penniless after receiving water and electricity bills totalling 24,000 euros over three years as Malta’s government charges foreigners 60 per cent more for water and 35 per cent more for electricity than locals. The mother of eight, from Aberdeen, moved to Malta in search of a more gentle way of life. She now works as a foster mother, caring for three Maltese children – she is paid just 210 euros a week or 70 euros a child,” the newspaper reports. She said: “The bills are ridiculous. I had a bill for three years for 24,000 euros for electricity and water, that’s £8,000 a year. When I tell my Maltese neighbours they are incredulous this is going on.” Ms Graham has joined a campaign group, called European Union Against Discrimination, which is demanding an end to the inflated tariffs. The group is taking legal action against the Maltese government to get the...

Muscat defends President

Christian Peregin — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:59:00 +0200

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has defended President George Abela over attempts to use charity money to fund the studies of his daughter-in-law’s sister, describing the training as “positive”. “It is a pity that there are a handful of people with dubious agendas trying to tarnish the reputation of a President who has been a unifying factor throughout his term and has worked so hard for the Malta Community Chest Fund and charity,” Dr Muscat’s spokesman told The Sunday Times of Malta. “The bottom line is that there was a suggestion to help a member of staff to be assisted in her training. We believe such training is investment in human resources and in itself positive,” he added. Pointing out that the offer for assistance was turned down, Dr Muscat’s spokesman said: “As such, there is absolutely no issue.” But the Nationalist Party did not mince its words on the President’s contentious offer to Darleen Zerafa, a sister of senior Labour official Lydia Abela, the President’s daughter-in-law. Ms Zerafa is pursuing a Master’s degree on eating disorders in Italy. A PN spokesman said the MCCF’s role was to help people in need and paying for the degree was “uncalled for and should have...

Update 3 - Many localities briefly without electricity after Delimara power station fault

Sun, 19 May 2013 09:15:00 +0200

Large parts of Malta and Gozo were without electricity for some time this morning after a fault in the old part of the Delimara power station. Power went out at 8.45 a.m. The affected areas were parts of Birżebbuga, Marsaxlokk, Swatar, Msida, Birkirkara, San Gwann, Kappara, Swieqi, Zejtun, Marsascala, Ghaxaq, Marsa, Qormi, Zebbug, Paola, Fgura, Senglea, Cospicua, Pembroke, Mellieha, St Paul's Bay, Mgarr, areas near Rabat, St Julian's, Madliena, Bahar ic-Caghaq, Sliema and Gozo. A spokeswoman for the Energy Ministry said power started being restored after 45 minutes and all areas had power back by about 10 a.m. The spokeswoman said the engineers' priority was to restore power, and the cause of the fault is now being investigated. The old part of the Delimara power station (known as phase one) is to be closed down under the government's energy plan.

'Star' killer's effective jail term converted to suspended sentence

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:38:00 +0200

Alfred Vella, 45 of Birzebbuga, who had been convicted of killing the dog popularly known as Star has had an effective three-month jail term converted into a three-month jail term suspended for two years. A €10,000 fine was reduced to €9,000. The decision was taken by the Court of Appeal. In the original case, Mr Vella admitted to charges of animal cruelty, manufacturing a home-made gun and being in possession of stuffed, illegally hunted birds. Both the Attorney General and Mr Vella had appealed. Mr Justice Lawrence Quintano dismissed both appeals and said that after he took into consideration the early admission by Mr Vella and his 'clean' police record, he was converting Mr Vella's effective jail term into a suspended one. Mr Vella was also suspended from hunting for two years from today. The tragic story of Star hit the international headlines after she was discovered almost totally buries near Għar Ħasan by Animal Welfare Department officers on May 19, 2011. Whimpering, she poked her nose through the soil of the grave, which managed to save her life. However, she died on June 6 from an acute inflammation of the pancreas, barely 24 hours after hundreds rallied in a protest...

Brussels brought in on chairman’s forced exit

Patrick Cooke — Mon, 20 May 2013 07:30:00 +0200

Nationalist MEP Roberta Metsola has asked the European Commission if the forced resignation of former Malta Communications Authority chairman Antonio Ghio was in line with EU law. Dr Metsola tabled a parliamentary question on Monday asking whether a change in the government of a member state constituted grounds for the removal of the head of a national regulatory authority under the EU Telecoms Framework Directive. Due to internal EU procedures, the question is not expected to be sent to the European Commission or published online until this week. Dr Ghio offered his resignation as authority chairman on March 14 after being requested to do so by the new Labour government in a letter on March 12. In the letter, the permanent secretary at the Communications Ministry at the time, John Gatt, informed Dr Ghio and his fellow board members that their resignations were “customary... to enable the new government to effect any changes that are considered desirable”. In his resignation letter, Dr Ghio made it clear his decision to step down was forced and that he did not feel he was obliged to do so according to the conditions laid out in national and EU law. Dr Ghio’s resignation letter...

Denmark wins the Eurovision Song Contest - Malta in eighth place

Sun, 19 May 2013 00:24:00 +0200

Malta this evening achieved one of the best Eurovision Song Contest results in recent years, with Gianluca Bezzina’s Tomorrow finishing eighth. Denmark won the contest with Emmelie de Forest singing "Only Teardrops". The Danish entry had been the favourite for days and topped the leader board early in the voting. The country was declared winner with four countries still to declare their vote. The ever-smiling Gianluca Bezzina gave another great performance and managed to get the crowd ‘Oh ohing’ and clapping throughout his performance, with many also singing to the lyrics projected behind him. Restaurants and house parties paused in silence as Gianluca and his band came on stage to sing Tomorrow – the ninth song among 26 finalists. Many burst into applause as he gave his final wave with a ‘Thank You Europe, Grazzi Malta.’ The Rai commentator was full of praise for the ‘simpaticissimo’ Maltese entrant, and also went on to point out that he is an Inter supporter... The competition was tough and varied but Malta was in fifth place half way through the televoting by the 39 participating nations. The votes for Malta came as follows - San Marino -10; Netherlands – 8; The United Kingdom...

Migrant was ‘severely humiliated’ on a bus

Ivan Martin — Sun, 19 May 2013 11:00:00 +0200

The African man who was dragged off a bus by two Arriva employees was scared and humiliated, a witness has told The Sunday Times of Malta. Malicia Dabrowicz, a 33-year-old Polish expat, was returning home to St Julian’s when she heard the “threatening voice” of an Arriva employee, verbally abusing a passenger in the back compartment of a bendy bus travelling along route 13 towards Paceville. Arriva said last Thursday it was carrying out an internal investigation following media reports that an African man was dragged off a bus and insulted by inspectors. The employee, a stocky man with “an aggressive disposition”, hurled insults at the petrified immigrant, according to the witness. “Everyone on the bus was scared. I saw one controller dragging the man to the front of the bus by his clothes, while the second stared the other passengers down,” the witness told this newspaper. An Arriva spokesman said CCTV footage indicated there was no physical contact between the two parties at any point and the passenger got off the bus of his own accord after being asked to leave. Ms Dabrowicz insisted that although the passenger had not been “punched square in the face” he was threatened and...

Updated - Large crowd welcomes Gianluca

Sun, 19 May 2013 15:41:00 +0200

Updated - A large crowd of people packed the airport arrivals lounge this morning to give a hero's welcome to Gianluca Bezzina on his return from the Eurovision Song Contest, where he placed eighth yesterday. Security officers had to struggle to control people as they surged towards the young doctor when he showed up at the arrivals lounge, applauding and cheering. Among them were members of his family and many people from his hometown Qrendi. Many are carrying Maltese flags, balloons, pictures of the singer and autograph books. Some children had 'Oh Oh' painted on their faces. Gianluca expressed his gratitude and said he had never expected such a warm welcome. He said he was overwhelmed by the whole Eurovision experience and the opportunity it had provided him to meet so many people.

Updated - Muscat calls on Busuttil at PN headquarters - leaders call for less aggressive political media

Kurt Sansone — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:27:00 +0200

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Opposition leader Simon Busuttil have agreed that their two parties should hold open-agenda meetings every two months. The two leaders had a meeting at PN headquarters this afternoon, with Dr Muscat reciprocating a visit by Dr Busuttil a few days ago, after he became PN leader. During the meeting's introduction, Dr Busuttil also called for a less antagonistic approach by the political party media. Dr Muscat agreed. Dr Busuttil said he was ready to contribute to making politics a positive experience, adding he was willing to see the party media "calm down". Dr Muscat agreed with Dr Busuttil's remark, adding that people were fed up of politics. The introductory comments came on the back of a light-hearted moment when Dr Muscat said he last visited the PN headquarters five years ago. "I met with my predecessor... Or rather your predecessor... our predecessor," he said, using the Labour election slogan taghna lkoll. Dr Busuttil took the cue and with a smile told the Prime Minister that everything was Taghna lkoll now, "except nominees to public agencies". The two delegations met behind closed doors.Later, Later, in a joint meeting with reporters, the...

‘I trust everyone and no one’

Sun, 19 May 2013 12:29:00 +0200

He runs a vast portfolio that will be largely responsible for giving the Labour government its visible deliverables. Transport Minister Joe Mizzi tells Kurt Sansone why he is the hands-on type. Soon after becoming minister you said administrative delays had stalled the work on some large projects and EU funds risked being lost. Which are these projects? There were various projects that ran such a risk but we wanted to understand the problems and try to find solutions. We are still in the process of salvaging the EU funds and this is not the right time to identify the affected projects before we have a clearer picture. One such project was the underpass being built on Marsa’s December 13 road. We are going to meet the deadline. Another project is the storm water tunnels. There were problems with this project but we solved most of them. So EU funds will not be lost? If we solved most problems then there will be no massive loss of funds as was going to happen. But I still believe we will deliver on time. Will these projects be also delivered within budget? Our aim is to deliver the projects within budget but with some we will have problems. There are certain capital projects we have...

Calleja: The day will come when a Maltese lifts the Eurovision trophy

Sun, 19 May 2013 11:50:00 +0200

Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja believes the day will come when a Maltese will lift the Eurovision trophy. Writing in his blog, Malta's most successful singer, Calleja said that Malta had a brilliant song yesterday, and it was delivered impeccably, yet Malta did not win. "No doubt there will be many who will cry foul, bring up the unfair issue of neighbourly cross voting and insist on having Malta withdraw from future contests." Whether it is in the office or on stage cross voting is a common and normal factor that has to catered for and dealt with in the long road of realising one's goal, he said. The road to success will be constantly besieged by factions, jealousy, envy, loyalties, nepotism or downright corruption. "Multiple spokes in the wheels are not only the norm but they are to be expected and dealt with. Indeed I view these acts of cheekiness as adding to one's achievement and a sad reminder that human nature can sometimes be petty and small minded." To those who felt that Malta should stop competing in the Eurovision, Mr Calleja said his reply was that form of “tomfoolery” would always be present and could really be avoided. It was the marking of true, real talent to...

Romanian arrested in pick-pocketing racket investigation

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:22:00 +0200

George Bigu, a 29-year-old Romanian resident in Paceville, was arraigned in court today after having been arrested early yesterday for allegedly trying to steal from the handbag of a woman. He pleaded not guilty and was remanded in custody. Police sources said the arrest was part of an investigation into a racket of pick-pocketing currently going on in Paceville. A spate of pick-pocketing thefts have been reported, involving mostly the theft of cash and mobile phones from handbags.

Arriva to introduce bus services to beaches- schedules to be adjusted

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:08:00 +0200

Arriva said today that it will be making a number of changes in its summer schedule aimed at improving transport services. It said some services will be operating on different schedules following a recalculation of journey times for all routes, taking into account variables such as traffic conditions. The major public transport summer services will also start operating from June 2. These will include direct bus services to Malta’s most popular beaches such as Route 225 which will provide a direct service from Sliema to Għajn Tuffieħa. Route 71 will be extended every hour to the Blue Grotto and Għar Lapsi, which are also served by Route 109. Route 101 and 102 will be serving Ġnejna Bay, Għadira Bay and Għajn Tuffieħa. Route 237 will be providing a connection between Għadira, Anchor Bay (Popeye Village), Paradise Bay and Ċirkewwa. The full summer schedule will be announced in the coming days.

Bombers target Benghazi Catholic Church - minister expresses solidarity

Sun, 19 May 2013 11:02:00 +0200

Foreign Minister George Vella has expressed his solidarity with the Catholic community in Benghazi and Maltese priests and diplomats in the region after a bomb exploded outside the main door of the Catholic Church in Benghazi on Friday night. The bomb went off at around 11.30 pm shattering several glass windows on the opposite side of the narrow road and also several windows in the building adjacent to the church, housing the priests. Dr Vella phoned Malta's consul in Benghazi, Joe Pirotta,to offer his support. The Maltese consulate is the only one representing an EU country in Benghazi. Dr Vella thanked all Maltese diplomats for their service, while calling for increased vigilance. Dr Vella also spoke to Fr Alan Castillo, a Filipino priest who assists Maltese Bishop Mgr Sylvester Magro. Mgr Magro was away from the country, attending a conference in Spain, on Friday. Fr Castillo said that Church repair work will be done by a Maltese man who lives near Benghazi. Dr Vella said the situation in Libya was a matter of concern. He said the Maltese government condemned all violence and would redouble its efforts to contribute to peace and stability in the country.

‘I want to know who killed my mother...’

Claudia Calleja — Mon, 20 May 2013 07:23:00 +0200

Almost 30 years after an unidentified driver ran over his mother and dragged her along the road for about a kilometre, Gaetano Sammut is still searching for justice – and is now reaching out to the public for help. “I want justice. Before I leave this world I want to know that my mother’s case has been closed. You can’t imagine what it feels like – having your mother killed by someone who is not held responsible. “I still feel angry all the time. I just want peace,” the 55-year-old told Times of Malta. Mr Sammut’s mother, Ċensina, was 66 years old and a widow with four adult children when she was run over and killed while crossing the road in Ħamrun, on June 13, 1984, at 9pm. She was on the zebra crossing near the police station when a car identified to be a station wagon hit her and dragged her the distance of about a kilometre to the area near the Labour Party club in Santa Venera. Back then Times of Malta reported: “Her handbag and shoes were found on the spot where she was hit, while the pieces of her dress were found at the other end in St Joseph Street where the runaway car swerved and dashed into St George’s Street…” Ms Sammut was left moaning in pain in the middle of the...

Pedestrian compensated for zebra-crossing incident

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:40:00 +0200

A man who was run over while on a pedestrian crossing has been awarded over €38,000 in damages by Mr Justice Lino Farrugia Sacco in the First Hall of the Civil Court. Alex Azzopardi filed his writ for damages against Anna Ellul. Middle Sea Insurance plc later intervened into the law suit. Mr Azzopardi told the court that he was crossing Valletta Road in Mosta on the pedestrian crossing when the lights permitted him to do so. While crossing the road he was hit by a car driven by Ms Ellul and suffered injuries including a fracture to his knee cap and facial injuries. Ms Ellul told the court that the traffic lights were obscured by trees and that she could not see the lights due to the sun in her eyes. But Mr Justice Farrugia Sacco said that it was the duty of every driver to maintain a proper look out and he found Ms Ellul totally responsible for the accident and for the injuries sustained by Mr Azzopardi. The court found that Mr Azzopardi had suffered a six per cent permanent disability and ordered Ms Ellul and her insurers to pay him €38,630.58 in damages.

‘PN must learn from its mistakes – including me’

Sun, 19 May 2013 11:30:00 +0200

Nationalist deputy leadership contender Beppe Fenech Adami is unshaken by the party’s decision to split the position. He also tells Christian Peregin the time for absolute truths is over. You announced your intention to become PN deputy leader before the leader was chosen. Was this tactical? No. When Lawrence Gonzi said he would not seek re-election, I was approached by a number of people to contest the leadership. I pondered on the idea but read the times well and realised I would be of more use to the party as deputy leader. Why do you say you read the times well? Why wouldn’t you have made a good leader? I’m not saying that. But at this moment in time I thought I would be utilised better as deputy leader. With great humility, I would say, I could have contested for the post of leadership and probably delivered too. Do you rule out contesting for leadership in the future? In politics you get used to not ruling anything out. At this moment I have decided to contest the deputy leadership. I made my intentions very clear, before the leadership contest or the call for nominations. Did you want to make sure the elected leader could not handpick his own deputy leader? That’s...

Eight beaches have blue flag status

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:11:00 +0200

A record eight beaches, including one in Gozo, have reached the standard to qualify for the Blue Flag, Tourism Minister Karmenu Vella said today. The blue flag beaches are St George’s Bay, Bugibba perched beach, Mellieha Bay, Qawra Point, Fond Ghadir, Ghajn Tuffieha Bay, Ramla l-Hamra Bay in Gozo and the Paradise Bay Hotel private beach. Golden Bay has been designated a ‘Beach of Quality’. Mr Vella made the announcement during an event at St George’s Bay in connection with European Maritime Day activities. St George’s Bay was designated a blue-flag beach for a fifth year, the longest period in Malta.

Burmarrad apartment damaged in blaze

Sun, 19 May 2013 12:47:00 +0200

An apartment in Burmarrad was badly damaged by a fierce fire this morning. Eyewitnesses said they could see flames from the windows and balcony of the property, which was empty at the time. Much of the furniture inside was destroyed. The blaze happened at the time of a power cut and the restoration of the power supply. The blaze was put out by Civil Protection Department fire-fighters.

Gianluca was fourth in Thursday's semi-final

Sun, 19 May 2013 08:22:00 +0200

Malta's Gianluca Bezzina came fourth in the Eurovision Song Contest second semi-final on Thursday, before coming eighth in the final yesterday. Figures issued by the festival organisers show how Azerbaijan came first in the semi-final, followed by Greece, Norway and Malta. In the semi-final, Malta won 118 points while Azerbaijan got 139. Malta got the maximum 12 points from Azerbaijan, Macedonia and Norway, and 10 points from San Marino. There were no points from Bulgaria and Spain. Gianluca returns to Malta on a flight from Frankfurt today at 3.40 p.m.