Young Twanny Aquilina was murdered today 61 years ago

Aug 23 2021

The story of Twanny Aquilina shook the Maltese islands when he was found killed in his parents’ house 61 years ago today at the age of 8. The boy was found in a pool of blood, with his throat slit deep. The main suspect was his own mother, Luigia Camilleri, known most prominently as Giga, along with her husband Leli. Some believe the case was solved, with the parents being the actual murderers. Others believe that the couple were wrongly convicted and jailed innocently.

Giga always plead innocent, but all to no avail. The mother was destined to receive capital punishment, but the sentence was instead changed to life imprisonment. Her husband received 20 years in prison along with hard labour. The boy is considered a saintly child by many, with the Maltese lawyer Carmel Chetcuti who once lived in the vicinity still visiting the site on a yearly basis.

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Photo Source: The Malta Independent

Yorgen Fenech’s lawyers demand to see Keith Schembri’s lost mobile data

Aug 23 2021

Yorgen Fenech’s lawyers are demanding to see essential evidence gained by the police from Keith Schembri’s mobile phone as this evidence can support the businessman’s claims. This is the focus of an application filed by Fenech in constitutional proceedings seeking to have lead investigator superintendent Keith Arnaud kicked off the probe into the assassination of late journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Lawyers are now claiming that a full extraction of data from the former chief of staff’s mobile phone is in the hands of the police. Times of Malta had revealed that Schembri’s phone went offline shortly before getting arrested in December 2019. Investigators subsequently testified that he claimed to have lost his phone.

Being arrested twice again, once in 2020 and again in 2021, prosecutors have charged him with money laundering, criminal conspiracy, fraud and forgery. Fenech’s lawyers said that seized data was lost forever and was essential to prove their client’s claims.

With the constitutional case before Mr Justice Lawrence Mintoff seemingly coming to its end with judgement due in November, the application filed earlier this month states that police had taken possession for the full extractions from Schembri’s phone.

Fenech argued that it would be ‘manifestly wrong’ that ‘when, in future, the truth emerges, it is seen that there was evidence which could have been brought before the court but was left out because of procedural obstacles.’

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Photo Source: DW, ICIJ

Warnings from employers as government hires workers ahead of election

Aug 23 2021

The employers’ lobby warns that the government’s habit of hiring private sector workers before an election has entered its full swing. The Malta Employers Association stated that it was essential to reverse the talent drain from the private sector prior to an election. The statement was made in the association’s proposals for Budget 2021 published on Monday.

It pointed out how there are productive jobs available in public transport, tourism, construction, care work, enforcement and many other areas which ‘could be taken up by people who are currently underemployed and with a relatively low standard of education if they undergo some training.’

With public sector employment increasing by around 500 jobs during the three-month electoral campaign in 2017, the government has yet to announce the date for the next general election which has to occur next year.

The association (MEA) has proposed introducing a moratorium on public sector jobs in the six months leading to a general election. The MEA has argued that automated systems should free up workers from their existing tasks in order to reduce labour supply shortages.

The MEA also stated that the governmental forecasts for the first six months of this year had been overly optimistic as COVID-19 is still very present. The FATF grey-listing also contributed. The association described the government’s push to encourage language tourism as a strategic error which derailed the country’s pandemic recovery efforts.

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Photo Source: Bernard Grech FB, Robert Abela FB

Over €190,000 in undeclared cash confiscated by Customs at Airport

Aug 23 2021

Customs Malta managed to confiscate up to €190,000 in undeclared cash at the Malta International Airport. A Somali man was found carrying €10,548 in his hand luggage and an additional €155,000 in his checked-in luggage. Meanwhile, a Moroccan and Egyptian were also found to be carrying undeclared cash.

The joint effort by the Customs AMLT Section and the Customs K9 Unit continued to push against undeclared cash movement through Maltese borders. With routine inspections, the officials managed to intercept the equivalent of €165,548 in undeclared cash following an indication by K9 Sophie.

The Somali traveler was making his way to Turkey before being escorted to the departures office for further inspections. The traveller stated he was carrying 1,600 dollars but further investigation led to the discovery of over €10,000. A further €155,000 in the checked-in luggage were found after being offloaded from the flight. The total amounted to €165,548.

During the weekend of Santa Marija, canines also reacted positively to two hand luggages at the Airport. A Moroccan passenger was found to be carrying €11,055 in undeclared cash whereas an Egyptian passenger was found to be carrying €15,000 in undeclared cash.

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Photo Source: Customs Malta FB