Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1417022
5 NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 6 OCTOBER 2021 EMPLOYMENT POSITIONS EUROPEAN UNION FUNDS Applications are invited for the positions of: Chief Coordinator Senior Manager (EU Funds) Programme Manager (EU Funds) Programme Officer (EU Funds) The positions require formal qualifications and relevant work experience. Applications are received only through the Online Government Recruitment Portal (https://recruitment.gov.mt) by not later than noon of Friday 8th October 2021. Further details are available in the Government Gazette of 24th September 2021. European Structural and Investment Funds 2014-2020 Co-financing rate: 80% European Union; 20% National Funds NICOLE MEILAK THE compilation of evidence against Adrian Hillman con- tinued Tuesday with Malta En- terprise official Joseph Zammit testifying on the Progress Press cash grant. Zammit testified on the in- vestment application filed by Progress Press to Malta En- terprise. He explained that Malta Enterprise offers several schemes to incentivise business investment. Oftentimes, this investment aid takes the form of a cash grant or tax credit to help fund a fixed-asset investment. The company must present invoic- es to Malta Enterprise before receiving the aid. In July 2013, Malta Enterprise received an investment pro- posal from Progress Press. The company wanted to purchase three printing machines, with the entire investment valued at around €5.5 million. The proposal was signed by Adrian Hillman and Michel Rizzo. The recommend cash grant initially amounted to €1.9 mil- lion. In the first letter of intent, Malta Enterprise offered a cash grant and interest rate subsidy to help finance the investment. However, the company eventu- ally opted against the interest rate subsidy as it was not going to take out a loan for the invest- ment. To verify the investment, en- gineers went on-site to make sure that the relevant machin- ery was purchased and in- stalled. Malta Enterprise also confirmed with Kasco Lim- ited that the payments went through to it, as Progress Press purchased the equipment from Kasco. The bulk of the cash grant payments were distributed be- tween 2014 and 2015. Howev- er, the final payment was issued in 2019. The final value of all pay- ments totalled €1.5 million. Hillman faces charges of money laundering, conspiracy to commit a crime, defrauding Progress Press, making fraudu- lent gain, making a false decla- ration to a public authority and accepting bribes as a managing director of Allied Newspapers and Chairman of Progress Press. Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech is presiding over the case. Mark Refalo, Stefano Fil- letti and Nicole Galea appeared as defence counsel. Inspector Joseph Xerri is prosecuting, aided by lawyers Antoine Agius Bonnici, Andrea Zammit and Sean Xerri DeCa- ro from the Attorney General's office. Malta Enterprise official testifies against Adrian Hillman The compilation of evidence against Adrian Hillman (above) continued with Malta Enterprise official Joseph Zammit testifying on the Progress Press cash grant MATTHEW AGIUS MR Justice Toni Abela has recused himself in the case filed by the Education Ministry to stop unions from taking indus- trial action in schools because of his wife's ties to one of the un- ions. In a brief statement deliv- ered this afternoon, Abela said his wife, although retired, still played an active part in the un- ion. The case will now have to be reassigned to another judge. He is the second judge to withdraw from hearing the in- junction. Last week, Judge Rob- ert Mangion had also recused himself for the same reason. A prohibitory injunction was filed by the Education Minis- try against the Malta Union of Teachers and the Union of Professional Educators on the eve of schools reopening after unions objected to the last-minute transfer of peri- patetic teachers to classroom duties. The application for the war- rant, aimed at stopping indus- trial action by teachers was filed after the trade unions reg- istered an industrial dispute. Scores of peripatetic teachers were advised that they would be assigned to classrooms in State primary school just days before schools reopened on 29 September. Second judge withdraws from case filed by Education Ministry against unions Mr Justice Toni Abela