Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1076517
5 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 30 JANUARY 2019 NEWS Operational Programme I – European Structural and Investment Funds 2014-2020 "Fostering a competitive and sustainable economy to meet our challenges" Advert part-financed by the European Regional and Development Fund Co-financing rate: Public Eligible (80% European Union; 20% National Funds) ANNOUNCEMENT Business Enhance ERDF Grant Schemes Open Rolling Calls – Cut-off dates Operational Programme I – Cohesion Policy 2014-2020 Fostering a competitive and sustainable economy to meet our challenges The Measures and Support Division within the Ministry for European Affairs and Equality, designated by the Managing Authority for Cohesion Policy 2014-2020 as the Intermediate Body responsible for administering aid schemes for enterprises under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) 2014 – 2020, would like to announce a reminder regarding the cut-off dates up to June 2019 for the submission of applications under the Business Enhance ERDF Grant Schemes initiative. The cut-off dates are published on the Business Enhance website https://businessenhance.gov.mt and may be accessed from https://businessenhance.gov.mt/en/News/Pages/OPEN-CALLS-.aspx Dates and venues for Information Sessions may be found from the same Business Enhance website. Further information on these calls including the respective Guidance Notes and the Guidelines for Implementation may be obtained from https://businessenhance.gov.mt. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Delia has been facing calls for his resignation ever since it emerged from court documents that his wife had accused him of domestic violence towards her and their children. The couple, who have five children together, are currently going through an acrimonious separation. Since the allegations were made public, a se- ries of leaked videos and recordings, as well as screenshots seemingly taken from Delia's phone have been doing the rounds on social media. The discussion – though heated and animated at times – appears to have been ably directed by Delia, who allowed everyone to vent their con- cerns and opinions on a number of issues. Busuttil, the sources said, made it clear that he had no intention or wish whatsoever of ever running for a party post, while attacking mem- bers of the parliamentary group – and party members and supporters – who continued to promote the notion of a 'Simon camp' within the PN. Delia and the other MPs accepted Busuttil's statement and agreed to work to stifle and over- come rumours that the party was divided. They also agreed the party needed to better highlight the big divisions and cliques within the Labour Party and the Labour benches in the House of Representatives. MPs told MaltaToday that questions were raised as to the suitability of Delia as leader. Beppe Fenech Adami also raised the issue of the accusations brought against Delia. The for- mer deputy leader is reported to have asked Delia to determine whether he was comfortable fighting the accusations in his role as leader, whether the party was being negatively affected because of the accusations and whether mem- bers of the parliamentary group were being un- justly caught in the crossfire. The sources said Delia insisted that the accu- sations were nothing but a concerted and well- planned campaign aimed at harming him and the PN. The emergence of professionally-edited videos attested to the organisation behind the attacks, he said, while vowing to fight on. An intervention by Claudio Grech – calling for the party to get together to determine where it was going and what it wanted to achieve – ap- pears to have been well-received by all present. Even Delia welcomed Grech's call for the party to draw up a clear and concise strategy for a way forward. The meeting wound up with a general consen- sus on the need for the group to meet more fre- quently and to focus on the ideals and propos- als that brought them all together, rather than highlighting issues that could be divisive. Such a stance is even more crucial in the run- up to the elections for the European Parliament in May, as the party struggles to hang on to its three seats and avoid losing further ground to Labour. pcocks@mediatoday.com.mt Parliamentary group deate was ably directed by Delia 'I appeal to Busuttil to stop harming our country' Simon Busuttil stepped down as leader of the PN following the 2017 election loss CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Abela – who was fielding questions from journalists af- ter a press conference on the court's decision rejecting an attempt by Busuttil to revive a call into the Daphne Pro- ject revelations – said that, as evidenced by an explainer on TI's website, one of the main factors influencing the index rankings is the effect of the "rise in political candidates running on a populist plat- form who seek to undermine democratic institutions and push anti-democratic agen- das". "This is the strategy which Busuttil and other members of the Opposition are using," he said, "And it confirms how badly such strategies influ- ence a country's performance on the index." "This is why I appeal to Bu- suttil to stop harming our country." He emphasised, however, that the government had been actively working on improv- ing on several of the problems connected to Malta's institu- tions which were identified recently by the Venice Com- mission. "It should be pointed out that the government has al- ready made important chang- es in this regard, when Prime Minister Joseph Muscat transferred the responsibility for appointing the judiciary from himself to a sub-com- mittee," he said. Building on Abela's argu- ments, Labour MP Edward Zammit Lewis said that many of the issues identified by the Venice Commission dated back to before 2013. "The Venice Commission made reference to many structures which predate 2013, and which the PN did nothing about in 25 years," the former tourism minister said, "We are changing sever- al of these, through measures such as the party financing law, the Whistleblower Act and the creation of a commis- sioner for standards." mcosta@mediatoday.com.mt Labour MPs Robert Abela (left) and Edward Zammit Lewis (right) said they would be ashamed if they were Simon Busuttil MATTHEW AGIUS AN Albanian man has been ar- rested and charged in connec- tion with the 2017 hold up at Diamonds International Begtash Muka, 27, was charged yesterday after DNA analysis led to his identification in con- nection with the 2017 heist of Tigné's Diamonds Internation- al. Muka is already in custody for another crime, having been charged with entering a restrict- ed area of the airport carrying a weapon. Some days after the jewellery heist, in which some €333,000 were stolen, one of the men involved had pointed a pistol at police officers and allegedly tried to shoot, but the weapon jammed. Muka's brother Daniel has already been charged with his part in the robbery. Yesterday, Muka's lawyer Franco Debono contested the validity of the man's arrest, ar- guing that there was a choice of arraignment by summons or urgent summons, in view of the fact that the offence took place over a year ago. Muka was arraigned a year later because he was in hiding, replied the inspector. The court ruled that the prosecution was correct in arresting the man. A not guilty plea was filed by the defence. No request for bail was made "in view of his present circumstances." Muka was re- manded in custody. Man charged with attempted murder over 2017 Tigné heist