fbpx

Ministers not involved in Transport Malta corruption case says Prime Minister

Ministers not involved in Transport Malta corruption case says Prime Minister
Sep 3 2022 Share

Prime Minister Robert Abela has come out in defence of his ministers cabinet, defending them from scrutiny when it comes to an alleged corruption case at Transport Malta. 

The Prime Minister said there were no investigations, criminal charges or legal proceedings concerning any ministers in this regard. 

Taking questions by Times of Malta, Abela was pointing to a case wherein an unnamed minister was implicated in wrongdoing when three Transport Malta officials were charged on Monday with helping learner drivers cheat in their exam.

Three men were arraigned in court but all denied corruption charges. The men in question were Clint Mansueto, a direct at TM, and officials Raul Antonio Pace and Philip Edrick Zammit. 

A police search of Mansueto’s phone also revealed chats with people linked to a political party supplying information about candidates who were to pass their driving test. 

However, Abela did not say whether he had spoken to his minister about the claims in court earlier this week and said that he was not informed of any investigation into any minister. 

“No minister has been criminally charged or accused of wrongdoing. Nor am I am informed of any investigations concerning any minister,” he said, adding later that there are “no investigations, accusations or legal proceedings against any minister.”

Abela also denied that the Labour Party was involved in this case, saying that there is no organised system within the party and denied it categorically. Abela said he had never spoken to Mansueto, but he did not say whether he had spoken to the co-accused. 

Police are currently going through more than 200 names contained in two diaries which they believe served as ledgers for suspected corruption in the scandal. The diaries being analysed are for 2020 and 2021 and contain the names of people suspected of having received favourable treatment. 

#MaltaDaily

Man with severe burns after car catches fire in Marsamxett

Man with severe burns after car catches fire in Marsamxett
Sep 3 2022 Share

A man had to be urgently admitted to hospital due to severe burns following a Valletta accident. The burns were caused after a car caught fire in Triq il-Lanca in the Marsamxett Area. 

The man was assisted on site by a medical team and transported to Mater Dei Hospital for further treatment. His condition is not yet known and neither are the causes of the fire. 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Malta Daily (@maltadaily.mt)

TVM News were informed that police received a telephone report from Tigne, saying that a cloud of smoke was seen and an explosion heard. 

This is an ongoing investigation. More information as story develops. 

#MaltaDaily

Ex-Amici dancer Michele ties knot with Maltese husband in local wedding

Ex-Amici dancer ties knot with Maltese husband in local wedding
Sep 3 2022 Share

Ex-Amici dancer and contestant Michele Nocca has officially tied the knot with his Maltese husband John Azzopardi.

The couple shared stunning images of their big day, which also happened to coincide with the beginning of Malta’s Pride Month. 

In a celebration with a themed touch of Greek and Roman aesthetic for inspiration, Michele and John finally got to culminate their six and a half year long relationship into the wedding night of their dreams. 

The proposal had been made during the couple’s trip to Denmark, with Nocca going on to say that he is the ‘happiest man alive’ to finally get to share his life with John. 

The former Amici pupil revealed to Italian newspaper Novi TV that as a teenager he was afraid of not being able to marry his true love. ‘Instead, I finally got married to John, a gift sent from heaven in a dark and difficult moment’ he said.

#MaltaDaily

12 brand new off-road vehicles for Malta’s Police Force

12 brand new off-road vehicles for Malta’s Police Force
Sep 3 2022 Share

The Malta Police Force has received 12 brand new 4×4 vehicles designed to be used by district and special branches police for the island’s rural areas. 

Bought for almost €500,000, the Ssangyong Musso vehicles were part financed from the European Fund for Internal Security. Police Commissioner Angelo Gafa, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri and Parliamentary Secretary for EU funds Chris Bonett were also present during their unveiling at Ta’ Kandja police quarters. 

Through this investment our District officers will, for the first time, be equipped with these type of vehicles which facilitate access to areas which are not easily accessible, such as rural areas” said the police commissioner. 

“As we have recently done with Rapid Intervention Unit and Traffic vehicles, the livery design chosen for these vehicles is intended to increase visibility on the streets.”

Minister Byron Camilleri said that such an investment shows that the government is committed to empowering the police force. “In fact” he said, “we saw a 4% reduction in crime in the first six months of this year when compared to last year.” 

#MaltaDaily