Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1116643
MATTHEW AGIUS THREE men aged between 22 and 25 from Siggiewi have been remanded in custody on charges of gang-raping a vulnerable 20-year-old woman. The men, whose names are being with- held on the orders of the court to avoid the identification of the victim, are un- derstood to have committed the crimes in Zebbug in June last year. Police Vice Squad Inspector John Spi- teri told the court that this was one of the most shocking cases he had ever dealt with. The woman had initially said that the brother of one of the accused had sexu- ally abused her, leading to the man be- ing charged in court. But as the next court date approached, when her woman's parents were cau- tioning her to tell the whole truth on the witness stand, she revealed that she had been gang-raped multiple times by the accused men. They would allegedly tie her up in a field and abuse her, sources told MaltaToday. The three men, two students and a fast-food establishment employee, all pleaded not guilty this afternoon before magistrate Doreen Clarke. Two of the accused did not request bail. The third was represented by defence lawyer Leslie Cuschieri, who told the court that his client, a 23-year-old stu- dent, had intellectual disabilities. He asked for bail to allow the man to go abroad on an educational course. Inspector Spiteri opposed the request however, saying that the accused's brother had been arraigned a month ago on similar, related, charges follow- ing which there appeared to have been an attempt to destroy evidence. YANNICK PACE NATIONALIST Party leader Adrian Delia is challenging claims that there is no link between the result of the European elections, and the legalisa- tion of abortion in Malta. Delia is insisting that if the Euorpean social- ists win the forthcoming elections and implement their manifesto, the 'Eu- ropean Courts' would be able to impose abortion on Malta. "This is one of Timmer- mans's electoral pledge. He is saying that if he be- comes president, he wants [abortion] to become a right," Delia said. "A right means that if you are Mal- tese, you can invoke that right." WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT WEDNESDAY EDITION €1.00 Newspaper post WEDNESDAY • 15 MAY 2019 • ISSUE 638 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY EDITORIAL • PAGE 9 PAGE 2 Bookies have Malta's Michela Pace in 9th place Eurovision Partit Laburista "She is a doer" Miriam Dalli is the only MEP in the Politico list of 28 European influencers POLITICO 28 VOTEWATCH EUROPE April 2019 December 2018 @drmiriamdalli @miriamdalli @miriamdalli "The most influential Maltese MEP of this legislature." POLITICO 40 April 2019 "The Maltese MEP is a master of building progressive alliances" PAGE 7 'Imposed abortion' if Socialists win EP elections, Delia claims PAGE 3 PAGE 4 Men who repeatedly gang-raped vulnerable woman denied bail MATTHEW AGIUS THE First Hall of the Civil Court yesterday denied a request by Op- position leader Adrian Delia to be granted access to the full copy of the Egrant inquiry report. The case was filed by Opposi- tion leader Adrian Delia. The de- cision was handed down by Judge Robert Mangion. Delia had filed the case after the conclusions from Magistrate Aaron Bugeja's inquiry on the ownership of the secret Panama- nian company Egrant were pub- lished in July last year. The Prime Minister, who was handed a full copy of the inquiry, had said that he wants the entire report to be published but the At- torney General has opposed any such a move. Judge denies PN leader's request for publication of Egrant inquiry report