Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1128274
4 NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 12 JUNE 2019 The Malta Development Bank (MDB) is launching the Further Studies Made Affordable (FSMA) Financial Instrument (FI) that assists eligible students in further developing their potential through education. The FI is financed under the Operational Programme II – "Investing in human capital to create more opportunities and promote the wellbeing of society" which is co-funded by the European Social Fund Programme 2014-2020. The FSMA FI initiative is aimed at supporting the development of human capital and meeting the financing needs of students seeking to pursue a full time or part time study programme. The objective of this Call for Service (the "Call") is to select one or more eligible Financial Institution/s licensed to operate under the Banking Act, Chapter 371 of the Laws of Malta for the implementation of the FSMA FI. The Financial Institution/s shall benefit from capital relief and loss protection via the provision of a capped guarantee on a portfolio of loans. The Financial Institutions applying under the Call should express their interest by completing and submitting the Call for Service documentation by noon of 26th July 2019. An information session to go through the details of the call is scheduled for the 17th of June 2019. To register send an email on info@mdb.org.mt More information and the relevant documentation can be downloaded from the MDB website: www.mdb.org.mt Call for Service for the implementation of the Further Studies Made Affordable (FSMA) Financial Instrument. Call reference number: MDB/001/2019 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 "We gave [the PD] a stage, the media, and two seats in the House. She even had the cheek to say she wanted to be our party leader. And when we wanted to cede a seat from our bench for the co-option of our leader, she wanted a PD candidate to contest it," Puli said on Facebook. "Today they dance to the rhythm of their hate towards us. She's an albatross around our neck while the PN tries all it can to gain ground." Puli also hashtagged the post with the words "Trojan Horse" and "viper in our midst". Marlene Farrugia was not available for com- ment when called. MaltaToday then sent the Facebook link to her partner, and PD leader Godfrey Farrugia. "We were nowhere near whoever was film- ing… Puli is trying to divert attention from his own problems." When contacted, Farrugia said he was una- ware of the video but said he had no recollec- tion of people singing "f'għoxx il-PN" around him during the celebrations. He suggested that people might have been chanting in the vicin- ity of whoever was filming and not necessary near the couple. "Puli is only trying to deflect attention. I have always viewed the feast as a celebration of the community during which I meet people of different opinions and from all walks of life." Reacting to Puli's remarks in a Facebook post of her own, Marlene Farrugia accused Puli of acting out of panic following the disastrous election result "he and his friends" had brought upon the PN through their "incompetence". "As I always do, I have fun during feasts, real fun, celebrating with friends, both new and old," Farrugia said, adding that in her life, she had never insulted anyone. She added that she had also spent a consid- erable amount of time at the Ħaż-Żebbuġ PN club, as well as others. Puli, she said, was clearly threatened by her. "They are right to do so because they are as corrupt as the government they want to re- move." Marlene Farrugia says Puli feels threatened by her JAMES DEBONO A Birkirkara home inside the urban conservation area has been earmarked for demolition to make way for a five-storey apartment complex. Jason Mifsud's Grand Prop- erty Holdings wants to build 15 apartments and three maison- ettes instead of the vernacular building, which is located a short distance from the Saint Helen's parish church. His architect is the former en- vironment and planning minis- ter George Pullicino. The area has been under the assault of developers for the past years: two years ago the Planning Authority approved an apartment block on one of the few green lungs in the area, which included an old historical wall and a statue of St Constantine located on the gate. The building in question in- cludes various architectural features, including a niche ded- icated to St Joseph on the main facade. The niche is accompanied by a sign dating back to 1886 through which Bishop Anto- nio Buhagiar granted an indul- gence of 40 days from purgato- ry to those who recited a prayer in front of the niche. The house is in the vicinity a number of old properties, some of which have been restored and rehabilitated. 1886 Birkirkara house threatened by five-storey complex MATTHEW AGIUS WHAT should have been a joy- ous occasion instead formed the backdrop to a violent incident on Sunday when a man from Ham- run allegedly assaulted his part- ner at a baptism party. The 28-year-old unemployed man, whose name is not being published to safeguard the iden- tity of his alleged victim, was accused on Tuesday of having slightly injured the woman in a fight at the couple's home on Sunday morning. Inspector Wayne Camilleri explained to the court, presided by magistrate Yana Micallef Sta- frace, how the man had returned to the house later that evening and injured a neighbour in a sec- ond fight. The man pleaded not guilty to slightly injuring his partner, voluntary damage to third party property, slightly injuring the neighbour, possession of a knife, as well as breaching the peace. After entering the plea, defence lawyer Yanika Bugeja requested bail, pointing out that her client had also suffered injuries in the altercations and claiming that he had acted in self-defence. The al- leged victims were familiar faces in court, she said. The lawyer explained that the incident had been triggered when the man was told to leave his own home. One could not simply force a person to sleep on the streets, Bugeja argued, adding that un- fortunately the current handling of cases of domestic violence left much to be desired. But Inspector Camilleri clari- fied that the accused had turned up at his Hamrun home after be- ing banned from going there by a court. In breaching that order, he had also been armed with a knife, said the inspector. Many civilian witnesses were yet to tes- tify, added the inspector. Magistrate Micallef Stafrace denied the request for bail and remanded the man in custody. Man who assaulted partner at baptism party, in custody