Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1378870
4 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 30 MAY 2021 NEWS The European Union has granted the Ministry for Health € 900,879.50 to partially cover transport costs incurred between April and September 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This action concerned the reimbursement of costs incurred by the Ministry for Health (Malta) towards the transport of medical items from within the Union and from third countries. This funding was made available under the Emergency Support Instrument. The Emergency Support Instrument, worth € 2.7 Billion and based on the principle of solidarity, was activated on 16 April 2020 to help Member States in their efforts to respond to the COVID- 19 emergency. The EU allocated € 150 Million to support 18 Member States and the UK to finance cargo shipments between April and September 2020. The EU will be fully funding the eligible costs submitted by Malta. As stated by the Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič: "We continue to support our EU Member States to be better prepared to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. We have financed the transportation of essential medical supplies across the EU. The items were delivered where they were needed the most and have boosted national efforts to save lives and better equip hospitals and healthcare workers." THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED BY THE EUROPEAN UNION CASINÒ DI VENEZIA IN THE ORBIT OF CRIME CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 However, his involvement in the three high-profile hold-ups has never been revealed until now. Theuma is believed to have put up one of his many properties as a safe house for the men in- volved in the three crimes. In court, Theuma has explained how Tumas Group owner Yorgen Fenech asked him to get in touch with the Degiorgio brothers – Alfred and George – and arrange for them to get rid of Caruana Galizia. Theuma has said in court that he met Alfred Degiorgio and agreed the price of €150,000 for the journalist's elimination. When Theuma was arrested in November 2019 he gave police a cache of recorded conversations between himself, Fenech and other people. The conversations happened after Caruana Galizia's murder at a time when Theuma feared that he would end up being blamed for the murder. Theuma's evidence and his willingness to tes- tify gave rise to the presidential pardon and the eventual arrest of Fenech a few days later. Fenech is charged with master- minding the journalist's assas- sination that took place on 16 October 2017. The Degiorgio brothers and their associate Vince Muscat, known as il-Koħħu, were even- tually arrested in December 2017 and charged with carrying out the murder. In February this year, Muscat admitted guilt and was granted a 15-year jail term after a plea bargain agreement. The case against the Degiorgio brothers is ongoing. Muscat is awaiting trial for his involvement in the HSBC HQ heist, along with Darren Debono, known as it-Topo, and Fabio Psaila. The trial against Muscat and Debono was last week put off indefinitely after the acts of the case were referred back to the inquiring magistrate because of new evidence that emerged. This evidence will be given by Theuma, who is expected to tes- 3 February 2010 At 7:15pm four hooded and armed men alighted from a Pajero and entered into the Casino di Venezia on the Birgu waterfront. One of the men stood guard in the reception area, while three made their way to the first hall where the slot machines and gaming tables were. A fifth hooded person was waiting in the Pajero. Stills from the Casinò di Venezia CCTV showing the 2010 hold-up in progress Theuma a clear link to major hold-ups of the past decade