Man acquitted of ecstasy trafficking charges after 18 years

18 year court case of ecstasy trafficker comes to an end

May 19 2022

A 37-year-old man from Paola has just Beene acquitted of trafficking ecstasy when he was 19. The court case has spanned a whopping 18 years, with the judgement handed down on Tuesday.

Magistrate Elaine Mercieca declared Tyrone Fenech not guilty of charges against him, after his unassisted statements to interrogators were declared inadmissible. Important witnesses did not testify in the proceedings.

The case took so long due to parallel constitutional and European cases over his unassisted statement.

Fenech had been arrested along with another person in St Julians after police found two small plastic bags and LM150 in cash in his possession. He was subsequently charged with trafficking the drug in February 2004, as well as possession of ecstasy and cannabis.

The court observed that the officers who seized the substances never testified, pointing out that the prosecution had closed its evidence before the expert appointed to analyse the substances could testify to his findings.

The only remaining evidence were mobile phones seized from the accused. However, the prosecution had not summoned witnesses to testify as to who had physically retrieved the devices and in what circumstances.

#MaltaDaily

AI to manage traffic jams and personalise education in €4 million investment

May 19 2022

A €4 million investment has just been announced which will see the Maltese government deploying artificial intelligence in six different sectors.

Addressing a press conference, Minister for the Economy, EU Funds and Lands Silvio Schembri detailed how the investment will be utilised to maximise different sectors on the island.

Among the investments are a whopping €1,900,000 input into the traffic management sector. This will see the incorporation of traffic lights, CCTVs and display panels to reduce the ever problematic impact of traffic on Maltese roads.

A massive €150,000 investment will go into education to create personalised educational programmes, whereas €376,000 will go into maximising energy resources.

For the tourism sector, €800,000 will be dedicated to better the experience of tourists by creating ‘personas’ which will suggest routes and experiences according to their preferences.

When it comes to governmental service, a ‘chatbot’ will be developed through an investment of €590,000 to improve the mobile app, email and freephone services from the government. Finally a forecasting app for the health sector will be developed through €300,000.

#MaltaDaily

Exam assistance for ADHD and dyslexic students peaked in 2021

May 19 2022

As reported by MaltaToday, quoting a statistical report by MATSEC, 679 candidates were given examination access arrangements (EAAs) when sitting for their O-levels in 2021.

Male students were twice as likely as females to request EEAs, with students hailing from private independent schools registering higher numbers of requesting assistance.

679 candidates means 13.5% of all registrations. 18.4% were male students and 9.3% were female candidates. The difference was attributed to research showing that boys are more likely to be diagnosed with conditions like ADHD.

Applications are processed by the ACCESS-Disability Support Committee of the University of Malta. The EAAs come in various forms, depending on the condition of the student.

They include extra time, rest periods, modified papers, larger prints, communicators and readers, etc. These have made it possible for more students to continue their education.

Many students applying for the arrangements suffer from conditions like ADHD, dyslexia and autism. In 2021, around 257 students requesting EEAs suffered from specific difficulties related to dyslexia. 191 students suffered from difficulties related to ADHD.

The percentages shot up from just 1.6% of candidates to 13.5% from 2004 to 2021.

#MaltaDaily

New centre for kids with sensory processing disorder inaugurated

May 19 2022

Addressing a press conference, Health Minister Chris Fearne, alongside Education and Sports Minister Clifton Grima, inaugurated a new Marsa complex which will give aid, education and support to kids with sensory processing disorder.

Fearne noted how medical science was acquiring more awareness of such disorders and thus required further social awareness and institutional assistance.

The Health Minister stated how the data shows that around 1 in 20 kids could suffer from such a condition. And despite not everyone needing intense medical care, some would greatly benefit from such rooms.

Called Sensory Integration Therapy, the new centre will focus on providing such tools for children who are born with some form of sensory processing disorder. The clinics also give mentoring to those seeking to continue their studying in the field, given that this is a very young and specialised form of therapy.

Speaking during the press conference, Minister Clifton Grima said that the educational system needs to incorporate all children, whatever their context, as to ensure that they all have the best assistance which could bee provided. He said that this initiative has children as its focus.

#MaltaDaily