From gangland vendettas to family feuds, the news Arriva was leaving and a judge charged with bribery, Anthony Manduca lists 2013’s highlights captured by photographers in the second of a two-part series.
In September, Malta and China signed a memorandum of understanding in Dalian saying that the State-owned China Power Investments Corporation will inject millions of euros into cash-strapped Enemalta and become a minority shareholder. The MOU was signed between Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi and China Power Investments president Lu Qizhou. Controversy erupted when it emerged Mr Mizzi’s wife, Sai Mizzi Lang, was directly appointed as Malta Enterprise’s envoy for Asia, based in Shanghai. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli. Right: Former European Health Commissioner John Dalli had a busy year: he was not charged over the snus corruption scandal; it then emerged he flew to the Bahamas in July 2012 as the EU investigation into him was escalating; and he was appointed to oversee Mater Dei Hospital’s reform. In his November report he said Mater Dei was plagued with an inefficient management system made worse by political interference that reduced managers to “ineffectual accessories”. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier
Welshman Daniel Holmes’s fate was sealed on October 31 when three judges confirmed on appeal a 10-and-a-half year jail term and €23,000 fine for cultivating cannabis at his Gozo flat. The court said Mr Holmes had made incorrect assertions in his appeal. Photo: Mark Zammit Cordina
Home Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia was the most controversial member of the Cabinet. His amnesty to prisoners (picture shows him, right, at prison after announcing the amnesty); his hard-line stand on irregular immigration; his replacement of the Police Commissioner and Army Commander; his double promotion of four army officers in two weeks; his piloting of the citizenship scheme and the influx of former One News journalists into PBS all gave him newspaper headlines. Photo: Jason Borg
Mario Camilleri, 58, known as l-Imnieħru and his son Mario, 21, (pictured) were found dead at Qajjenza, Birżebbuġa, just before midnight on July 17. Jason Galea, 39, the victims’ brother-in-law and uncle denies their murder.
One of Joseph Muscat’s first controversial decisions was to grant Elderly Parliamentary Secretary Franco Mercieca a waiver from the ministerial code of ethics to continue performing highly-specialised cornea operations. The Sunday Times of Malta revealed the ophthalmologist had also carried out routine surgeries in private hospitals, after which he stopped. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier
Tenor Joseph Calleja and Italian superstar Zucchero entertained the masses to a world class concert at the Granaries on August 1 which was, for the first time, free to the standing public. Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi
Pawlu Degabriele, 48, of Fgura, known as is-Suldat, was shot dead in Marsa in broad daylight on May 31. In December 2012 he had been arrested in connection with the fatal Mosta shooting of Joseph Cutajar, known as il-Lion, who had been charged with double murder. Photo: Mark Zammit Cordina
Malta managed to obtain up to €1.12 billion in EU funds for the period 2014 to 2020. Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi is seen here at the EU summit in February with European Commission President José Manuel Barroso. Photo: DOI
Police Commissioner Peter Paul Zammit was labelled a “Labour activist” by Opposition leader Simon Busuttil shortly after his appointment. Mr Zammit was heavily criticised by the PN for not charging former European health commissioner John Dalli in connection with the snus scandal, the Norman Vella case, his request for phone logs from telephony companies and seeking the dismissal of Inspector Elton Taliana. Photo: Jason Borg
The new government adopted a distinct pro-development policy, to the anger of environmentalists. A call for an expression of interest for land reclamation projects was issued and hotel height restrictions were relaxed. Its rejection of the Environment Ombudsman’s findings on the Mistra permit was the last straw for NGOs, which organised a protest rally on December 7. Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi
Judge Ray Pace was found dead in his home in Attard on May 5 – no foul play was suspected. Dr Pace stepped down from the Bench in December 2012 after he was charged with bribery and trading in influence. He denied the charges and the case was not concluded.
It was announced that public transport provider Arriva has finally decided to leave Malta after an unhappy two-and-a-half years. Photo: Ian Pace
President George Abela, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Opposition leader Lawrence Gonzi, accompanied by their spouses, attended Pope Francis’s inaugural Mass at the Vatican on March 19. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli