Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1335208
3 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 31 JANUARY 2021 NEWS Cases 17,721 Active 2,681 Recoveries 14,775 Deaths 265 Swabs 609,737 LATEST COVID-19 www.maltatoday.com.mt/covid19 https:// media.istockphoto.com/pho- tos/the-concept-of-unity-cooperation-team- work-and-charity-picture-id1202093022?s=2048x2048 For more information: 2149 6277 www.casa-antonia.com.mt Pope Alexander VII Junction, Balzan BZN 1530. info@casa-antonia.com.mt W E ' R E G R O W I N G O U R T E A M As part of our commitment to excellence St George's Care Limited, operators of the private high quality nursing and residential homes Casa Antonia and The Imperial, is currently expanding its operations. As part of our restructuring process and whilst seeking to provide the best possible care to our elderly residents we are looking at growing our dedicated team and are seeking to recruit: C a r e A s s i s ta n t s R e c e p t i on i s t s Wa i t e r s a n d Wa i t r e s s e s C l e a n e r s Interested applicants are invited to send an email to info@casa-antonia.com.mt or write to: The Managing Director, St George's Care Limited, Casa Antonia, Pope Alexander VII Junction, Balzan BZN 1530. LIVE SENIOR LIFE WELL St George's Care Limited is an equal opportunity employer. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence. MATTHEW AGIUS THREE men from Slovakia have been remanded in cus- tody after they were charged with kidnapping and holding a fellow national against his will. Peter Tupta, 49, Anton Triscik, 47 and Adam Ma- zurkovic, 22, were charged with kidnap and extortion, il- legal arrest and slightly injur- ing their victim. Police said that last Wednes- day, the 30-year-old victim had been approached by three persons in Triq is-Salib, Mell- ieha and later bundled into a car, where his hands were bound. He was driven to l-Aħrax tat-Tunnara in Mell- ieha and tied to a tree, while being punched and threatened with a knife. After some time, the vic- tim was untied and taken to a Sliema hotel where he was held against his will through the night. The next morning, the victim was going to be transported somewhere else, when he managed to escape and call for help, while being restrained by the three men. Passers-by called the police and officers from the RIU ap- prehended the three men. The vehicle allegedly used in the kidnapping was found and seized by the police and other objects belonging to the vic- tim were recovered from the three accused. Police inspectors Ryan Mario Vella and Jessica Bez- zina arraigned the men before magistrate Joe Mifsud Satur- day afternoon. The magistrate insisted that "foreign conflicts" would not be permitted to be exported to Malta. Lawyer Martha Mifsud entered a not guilty plea for the accused men. Bail was not requested. Slovak trio in custody over assault and kidnap of fellow national Victim held in Sliema hotel against his will COVID-19 update MALTA registered 136 new cases of COVID-19 and 149 overnight recov- eries yesterday at 12:30pm. This led to an increase in active cases to 2,681. One new death was registered over- night, involving an 85-year-old man who passed away at Mater Dei Hos- pital while positive for COVID-19. To date, Malta has registered 17,721 total cases of the virus, 14,775 of which recovered. In total, 265 COVID-related deaths have been re- corded. Yesterday, 3,431 swab tests were carried out. Since the start of the out- break, health authorities conducted 609,737 tests. Up until yesterday, 25,822 doses of the COVID vaccine have been administered, of which 2,969 were second doses. Two years for drug trafficker ZABBAR resident Ali Mo- hamed Ibrahim 27 of Soma- lia, was jailed for aggravat- ed possession of cannabis yesterday. He was found in possession of cannabis within 100m of a club, and arrested with a Gambian national in Marsa by an RIU and Drugs Squad patrol. 31 packets of marijuana, 13 pieces of cannabis resin and 20 packets of synthetic drugs were found in the an- ti-drug operation. The man entered a guilty plea before the court, which proceeded to sentence him to imprisonment for two years, together with a fine of €800.