Court Lifts Freezing Order On Yorgen Fenech’s Assets

Oct 28 2024

A criminal court has lifted the asset-freezing order on businessman Yorgen Fenech, who was arrested in 2019 for alleged involvement in journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder, charges he denies.

Times of Malta reported that Judge Edwina Grima, who will also preside over Fenech’s trial, canceled the order after the attorney general’s office reportedly failed to specify the amount of assets to freeze by a required deadline under new regulations.

Both the Nationalist Party (PN) and activist group Repubblika have since called for the resignation of Justice Minister Jonathan Attard and Attorney General Victoria Buttigieg, citing concerns over the handling of the case.

Fenech has been in preventive custody for five years while facing multiple charges. Apart from the murder case, he is charged with a “phantom job” scheme allegedly linked to the murder’s confessed middleman, Melvin Theuma, as well as money laundering through a gaming company.

In a separate, closed-doors case, he is accused of ordering weapons and poison via the dark web, charges he also denies. Fenech is further implicated in a corruption investigation involving former high-ranking government officials Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi.

PN Calls For Resignations Of Attorney General, Justice Minister

The Partit Nazzjonalista (PN) has sharply criticised Malta’s Attorney General Victoria Buttigieg and Justice Minister Jonathan Attard following a Times of Malta report on a court’s recent revocation of a freezing order against Yorgen Fenech, a businessman accused of major crimes, including the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

The PN claims that this outcome reflects serious failings by Buttigieg in her role, alleging her actions have compromised justice in high-profile cases. Fenech, who owns the controversial company 17 Black, is linked to multiple corruption scandals.

The PN further argues that Attard’s recent anti-money laundering legislation was poorly crafted and rushed, inadvertently weakening institutional safeguards against corruption and benefiting those engaged in serious criminal activities.

The PN sees this as part of a broader pattern within the Labour government, which they accuse of prioritising the interests of individuals implicated in corruption over maintaining an effective justice system.

As a result, the PN has called for both Buttigieg and Attard to resign, arguing that their continued service undermines public trust and erodes the independence and effectiveness of Malta’s justice institutions.

#MaltaDaily

Agents of Change: How Social Workers Transform Lives

Oct 28 2024

Few activities are more gratifying than giving or spending some time with someone who needs a little company. Many times, investing a little in our relationships can lead to improvements in the people around us. These improvements might be minimal for some but for others they are crucial. Social workers do all this as their profession. Their job is to be agents of change, on an individual, community, societal and even global level where needed. Every day in their work, they meet people who are going through some social difficulties, intending to help them with the skills necessary for the practice of the profession. The professional help from social workers combines elements of emotional, psychological, and social support with the aim of improving a person’s situation, regardless of their difficulties.

As in other professions, social workers use the tools learnt in their studies, which are based on social and humanistic research, coupled with the experience they gain and the social, community and personal context of the people they help. They always endeavour to find solutions that make a significant difference to the quality of life of all people.

To achieve this, social workers take on different roles in their practice, sometimes as supportive listeners and counsellors, but also as teachers when needed. Being a strong voice for neglected people in our society is also a very important role, especially in times when rapid societal changes can cause some to fall behind the rest.

In this context, roles such as advocate, protector of the vulnerable and mediator with other services or forces in society are also crucial for us to move forward together as a society. As people with strong values, social workers stand up for the disadvantaged in society and one of their most important values is respect for all people. Everyone has the right to be accepted in society for who they are, without distinction of gender, ethnicity, country of origin, religious beliefs or other beliefs one may have about one thing or another. Everyone should be respected because everyone can contribute to a stronger society in their own way. For this reason, the social work profession has a non-judgmental attitude towards all people. This attitude helps social workers to recognise people’s strengths and build on them so that everyone can fulfil their potential in life.

The whole social sector our country is huge and constantly evolving to meet the changes in society and their impact on the communities around us and the people within them. This has meant that there are numerous opportunities in the profession for anyone who wants to become a social worker. There are opportunities in the social sector with both government agencies and numerous NGOs that do valuable work. Regardless of where they work, social workers strive to make a positive difference in people’s lives.

#MaltaDaily

Female Officer Bound Nearly Nude: Home Wrongly Raided

Oct 28 2024

A female detention officer is suing the State and the Police Commissioner after back in August her home was wrongly raided and she was bound in a state of near-nudity.

Times of Malta reported how the 34 year old woman was awakened by four male police officers who bound her hands, only to discover later that they had raided the wrong home in Triq l-Isqof Francis Baldacchino, Marsa.

The incident happened at around 6am when four officers from the Special Intervention Unit (SIU) made their way up to a penthouse in a Marsa block.

They were assisting the Vice Squad and the Crime Investigation Department in a series of raids taking place in a number of places relating to human trafficking.

The woman was reportedly sat on a chair bare-chested for around 20 minutes, and no arrest warrants were reportedly shown. She was not offered a t-shirt or something to cover herself with.

It was later discovered that the police were targeting a suspect living in the apartment below her penthouse, with the victim filing a criminal complaint the very next day.

The police refused responsibility for the incident, claiming “nothing irregular” occurred, citing “reasonable suspicion” for the raid.

She challenged this, questioning what suspicion justified the humiliation and excessive force, with officers ignoring legal safeguards. Now seeking court intervention, she claims her rights were breached, causing trauma that forced her to leave her job.

#MaltaDaily

Neither Messi Nor Ronaldo On Ballon D’Or 2024 Shortlist

Oct 28 2024

The 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place on Monday, October 28, at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. This event brings together the world’s top footballers as they await the announcement of the year’s best male and female players.

Notably, this marks the first time since 2003 that neither Lionel Messi, an eight-time winner, nor Cristiano Ronaldo, a five-time winner, appear on the men’s shortlist.

With former winners Karim Benzema and Luka Modric also absent, a new player is guaranteed to claim the men’s title.

In the women’s category, Spain’s World Cup champion and Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati is in contention to win her second consecutive Ballon d’Or.

The men’s Ballon d’Or winner will be selected by a jury of journalists from the top 100 countries in FIFA’s men’s rankings, while the women’s winner will be chosen by a panel of women’s football journalists from the top 50 countries in FIFA’s women’s rankings.

#MaltaDaily