Man Handed Suspended Sentence For Threatening To Decapitate Ex-Wife

Feb 28 2025

A 31-year-old Moroccan man residing in Pietà received a 15-month suspended jail sentence after admitting to threatening his ex-wife with graphic violence, telling her he would decapitate her and set her on fire in a car.

Times of Malta reported that the court, presided over by Magistrate Elaine Rizzo, heard how the woman reported the threats to the police’s Domestic Violence Unit, leading to the man’s arraignment.

The accused had also attempted to file a report against his ex-wife but withdrew it after being informed that the case would need to go to court.

To protect the victim and her three-year-old child, names were not disclosed.

Police Inspector Audrey Micallef led the prosecution, while lawyer Ishmael Psaila defended the accused, and lawyer Yanica Barbara Sant represented the victim.

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Court Rejects Jason Azzopardi’s Request For Inquiry Into Minister Silvio Schembri

Feb 28 2025

A court has definitively rejected Jason Azzopardi’s request for a magisterial inquiry into Economy Minister Silvio Schembri, confirming an earlier ruling that found no legal basis for the investigation.

Judge Neville Camilleri upheld Magistrate Antoine Mifsud Bonnici’s initial decision, dismissing claims of procedural unfairness.

The court found that the media reports Azzopardi cited did not explicitly allege criminal conduct.

Azzopardi, a lawyer and former Nationalist Party MP, sought an inquiry into Schembri’s finances, arguing that the minister’s lifestyle was inconsistent with his declared income.

The court noted that while media reports can serve as the basis for an inquiry, the ones presented in this case did not directly link Schembri to crimes such as money laundering or trading in influence.

In response to the ruling, Schembri stated that the court had once again confirmed that the allegations against him and his family were baseless. He emphasised that the judge had clearly ruled that Azzopardi’s claims did not prove or even suggest that he had committed any crime.

Schembri further claimed that the court found no indication that he was involved in offences such as money laundering, receiving gifts, or trading in influence.

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Malta Rangers Act After Illegal Dumping Posted To TikTok

Feb 28 2025

The Malta Ranger Unit (MRU) has reported an illegal construction waste dumping incident to the Environmental Protection Unit (EPU) after a group of men filmed themselves discarding waste and shared the footage on TikTok.

The now-deleted video showed a man unloading construction waste from a van into the countryside while others laughed in the background.

The MRU reported that it received numerous public reports about the video and acted swiftly, identifying the site within 40 minutes, documenting evidence, and notifying the police.

The rangers reportedly identified the men involved through the van’s license plate and called for their vehicles to be seized.

Fines for illegal waste dumping start at €4,000 per 10 cubic metres, rising to €50,000, with hazardous material disposal carrying a minimum penalty of €6,000.

The MRU emphasised that illegal dumping remains widespread due to weak enforcement and low chances of offenders being caught.

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Three Persons To Be Taken To Court Over Journalist Threatening

Feb 28 2025

Three persons are set to be taken to court today following the harassment and threatening of journalists earlier this week, sources close to MaltaDaily revealed.

The ONE News journalists were covering the AFM drug theft case outside the court, when relatives of the accused levied insults and threats at the journalists.

The behaviour of those concerned saw the condemnation of it all from IGM and various other entities, including the PL and PN.

The relatives threatened the journalists with violent acts and obscene language, and are set to appear in court today at noon.

#MaltaDaily