Chief Justice admonishes AG, police on 2013 oil scandal: Are you waiting for everyone to die?
Chief Justice slams police and AG over years-long delay and extensions to oil scandal hearings
18 July 2021, 9:21am
by Matthew Vella
The Constitutional Court, presided by the Chief Justice, said that in 27 sittings for the compilation of evidence against Mifsud (pictured above), nothing had happened in 15 of these sittings.
The Enemalta oil scandal’s prosecutions of 2013 were crippled by court delays from the prosecution and the actions of the Attorney General, with a majority of court cases achieving “absolutely nothing”, Malta’s Chief Justice and two judges declared in a fair hearing complaint.
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SAXO Bank Chief Economist optimistic for recovery in Maltaâs Trade, Transport and Tourism
Steen Jakobsen, the Chief Investment Officer and Chief Economist of SAXO Bank expressed himself more than optimistic about Malta s prospects for economic recovery at the end of a business webinar Trade, Transport and Tourism - A Macro-economic analysis for post-COVID Investing .
The webinar, organised by the Malta Maritime Forum and Bank of Valletta with the support of Saxo Bank, was attended by well over 100 participants. It was targeted at business players in the maritime sector and shed light on the immediate and medium-term world economic outlook in light of the current extraordinary circumstances, characterised by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as significant political and environmental/climate change factors.
The Planning Authority (PA) has reissued a permit for upgrading works on a Baħrija farmhouse after it passed an environmental test, with the new developer made to pay a €10,000 contribution towards the environment fund for a water management project.
The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) gave its green light to the project that had been the centre of controversy before the European Parliament elections in June 2009 because of a permit granted to former PN general council president, Victor Scerri, and his wife for the rehabilitation of the dilapidated farmhouse in Wied tal-Marċa.
The controversy subsequently led to Scerri’s resignation. He had insisted he wanted to defend his case as a private citizen without dragging the party into the controversy.
A year ago, civil society movement
Repubblika sought court redress to stop the appointment of six new members of the judiciary on grounds of government interference in the choice. It insisted the system then in place gave the prime minister “arbitrary discretion” when selecting candidates.
The matter also ended up before the European Court of Justice, which, earlier this week, decided that the prime minister’s power to select judges from a shortlist does not breach EU law, adding this should only happen “in exceptional circumstances”.
Since the NGO’s action, the system has been changed and judges and magistrates are now appointed by the President of the Republic in accordance with the recommendations of the judicial appointments committee, which forms part of the Commission for the Administration of Justice. No politically appointed persons sit on the committee, although the chief justice is chosen by parliament.