Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1164600
6 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 11 SEPTEMBER 2019 NEWS DAVID HUDSON THE criminal court is expect- ed to take a decision on the latest request for bail by Vin- cent Muscat, one of the men accused of murdering Daphne Caruana Galizia. Muscat, 55 and known as 'il-Kohhu', is believed to have planted and detonated the bomb that killed Caruana Gal- izia on the 16 October 2017 along with brothers Alfred and George Degiorgio. Defence counsel Arthur Azz- opardi, who is appearing for Muscat, claimed there were many murder cases where the accused was granted bail three months after his or her ar- raignment. Azzopardi gave the court a list of accused individuals who had not remained in police custody for more than twenty months – as in his client's case – and who were granted bail notwithstanding the grave na- ture of their crimes. Amongst the names he men- tioned were Liam Debono, Gerald Galea, Brian Cini, Paul Farrugia, and Joe Cutajar. "We can't keep saying that a person has to be remanded in custody since an investigation is still ongoing," Azzopardi said. He added that jurisprudence from the European Court of Human Rights was in line with his statements and that, according to Maltese law, the limit on the length of time one can remain remanded in preventative custody was 20 months, which had elapsed in his client's case. A decision on Muscat's bail is expected to be taken by the court in the coming days. Court to decide on Caruana Galizia murder suspect's bail application Vincent Muscat (right) DAVID HUDSON THE Paloma Hotel will not be closing down despite being described by the Environment Health Directorate as a "public health emergency". However, it has been ordered by the courts to carry out remedial works in order to ensure that public health wasn't put at risk. Last month, police and health authorities rained down on the rundown hotel, evicting over 100 people. Christopher Drago, the landlord appearing for the owner of La Paloma Hotel and Blue Angel Apartments — Evgueni Bodistianu — was told that though maintenance works on the two properties had already been undertaken, further work as prescribed by court-appointed architects should be carried out "as soon as possible". The wife of Bodistianu is also a registered agent for the Maltese Individual Investor Programme, which sells Mal- tese citizenship to the global rich. Her husband Evgueni answered one of the regis- tered mobile phone numbers used by the couple's agency two weeks ago when Malta- Today asked him if he was still the owner of the premises. He denied it. In a letter sent to the owner of the properties, the health authorities had said that they would close down the com- plex with immediate effect be- cause its dilapidated state was a "public health emergency". The hotel was described as being severely unhygienic, lacking electricity and pro- viding broken beds, as well as having no lift service. Employ- ees were also often left un- paid, according to testimony before the court. "The court understands that public health is extremely im- portant and that an order for closure can save the lives of many people," the court said, adding though that it was aware that people who had no other place to stay had re- turned to the hotel. The court decided that the Paloma Hotel would resume its business but ordered it to clean up its act in accordance with the Environment Health Directorate and the archi- tects' suggestions as soon as possible. Mr Justice Francesco Depas- quale was the presiding judge. Edward Gatt was defence counsel. Russian owner of rundown hotel that housed migrants, sells Maltese passports DAVID HUDSON A 52-year-old man was charged with setting fire to his family home and recidivism after he himself informed police of his crime while the house was still burning. He pleaded guilty in court on Tuesday. The court was told that he was driven to this behaviour because of marital problems. In a moment of passion, while the wife was out with the two children, he decided to burn the house down. The court ordered that there be a ban on the publication of the ac- cused's name on account of the two children. The court heard how the ac- cused drove from his house to a petrol station in Gharghur, buying a €4 worth of petrol, which amounted to just over a litre. The man then returned home and bundled a throw- over in the bedroom which he shared with his wife and another in the children's bed- room. He used a match to light them on fire. Realising what he had done, he drove himself to the near- est police station while the fire was mounting back home and told the officers there ex- actly what he had done. He told the officers that he was worried for neighbours and that he did not know whether they were at home or had already left for work. "He took an interest in his neighbours and collaborat- ed completely with police. Though there was some dam- age, the fire hadn't yet spread by the time it was put out," the prosecution told the court. The defence argued that the accused had panicked when he lit the fire, realising his mistake. He feared the fire himself and decided to inform the police instead of putting it out. "The irony is that the fire was so small that had he put it out before leaving the house, we would not be here today," defence lawyer Arthur Azzo- pardi said. He added that his client had had a drinking problem in the past but had managed to sur- mount it. The court issued a four-year protection order for his wife and children and sentenced the man to three years and four months in prison. Victor Axiaq was presiding magistrate. Christina Delia prosecuted. Regretful arsonist set house on fire over marital problems