Morning Briefing
Police find accused’s DNA on torches taken from AFM heist scene
DNA from two men accused in last month’s drug heist at an AFM barracks was found on torches taken from the scene, a court heard on Tuesday. CCTV footage from February 23, between midnight and 2am, showed two figures entering the Safi barracks three times through a hole in the fence to steal drugs, transporting them in shopping baskets to a waiting car. The court began hearing evidence against five men and one woman, charged with carrying out or being involved in the theft. The accused, including Sean Attard, Carlos Pace, Yousef Essesi, Cleaven Pace, Liam Stewart, and Christa Gauci, have pleaded not guilty. Police inspector Mark Anthony Mercieca stated that the case traces back to June 2024, when Customs seized a container at the freeport suspected of containing undeclared goods. Investigations revealed that 132 blocks of drugs were stolen, with 83 blocks later recovered, representing around 63% of the stolen drugs. (Maltatoday)
Cabinet approves pardon for Freehour hackers
The Cabinet has deliberated on the case involving three students and a lecturer who are facing criminal charges related to unauthorised access to Malta’s largest student application, FreeHour. It has decided to recommend a presidential pardon for the accused. Last week, students Michael Debono, Giorgio Grigolo, and Luke Bjorn Scerri were charged with illegally accessing the FreeHour app, while their lecturer, Mark Joseph Vella, was accused of being an accomplice for having proofread an email the students sent to FreeHour. All four have pleaded not guilty. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the government noted the public stance taken by FreeHour, the alleged victim in this case, and acknowledged that at the time of the alleged offence, Malta did not have policies or legislation in place to address the identification of vulnerabilities and security weaknesses in organisational systems and networks. (The Malta Independent)
Drop in deaths by heart attacks
The percentage of deaths caused by heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases in Malta has seen a notable decline over the past decade, although these conditions remain the leading cause of mortality both locally and globally. A recent study analysing coronary procedures at Mater Dei Hospital over the past five years suggests that this reduction may be linked to increased early interventions. In 2013, cardiovascular diseases accounted for 40 per cent of all deaths in Malta, a figure that dropped to 29 per cent by 2023. Fatalities due to heart attacks specifically fell from 21.7 per cent of total deaths 12 years ago to 13.9 per cent last year, according to the hospital’s Cardiology Department. (Times of Malta)