Morning Briefing
PM, Metsola with contrasting views on increased EU defence spending
Increasing defence spending will only hinder peace in Ukraine, Prime Minister Robert Abela said ahead of a Brussels summit. “I do not believe weapons and ammunition will end the war. The only lasting solution is peace,” he stated, opposing increased military investment despite Ukraine being a victim of Russian aggression. Meanwhile, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola urged Europe to ramp up military spending and aid to Ukraine. “It is about damn time,” she said before EU leaders approved an €800 billion defence plan, stressing the need for Europe to “scale up, be prepared, produce, and protect.”
PN MP to provide ‘evidence’ on alleged PM criminal association
PN MP Karol Aquilina will call suspected gangster Christian Borg and two prison inmates as witnesses when he appears before parliament’s privileges committee over his remarks about the Prime Minister’s alleged ties to criminals. Speaker Anglu Farrugia ruled there was prima facie evidence for Aquilina to face the committee but gave him the chance to retract his statement. The PN MP refused, insisting he would present evidence to support his claim that Prime Minister Robert Abela has associations with criminals. Aquilina dismissed the committee as biased but said the hearing would allow the public to judge the evidence for themselves. He pledged to submit “irrefutable proof” linking top government figures, including Abela, to criminal activity. (Times of Malta)
Maltapost ordered to pay €155,000 after 19-year old dies after work vehicle overturns
MaltaPost has been ordered to pay €155,000 to the family of Elenia Briffa, a 19-year-old employee who died after her work vehicle overturned in Marsa on May 7, 2020. Her parents, John and Doris Briffa, along with their other children, Ryan and Denise, filed a case holding the company responsible. Judge Toni Abela, reviewing the evidence, noted that Briffa crashed into the pavement, causing a tire to burst. A witness confirmed she was not wearing a helmet at the time. (TVM)