Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1474369
TRUTH IS OF NO COLOUR WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT SUNDAY • 24 JULY 2022 • ISSUE 1186 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY maltatoday KAREN SULTANA 35-year plea bargain mooted for hitmen KARL AZZOPARDI A number of Maltese retail investors have seen their investments disappear after a cannabis investment platform promising massive returns stopped op- erating, in mysterious circumstances. The global fall-out from what is be- lieved to be an 'exit scam' by the cre- ators of Juicy Fields, a platform that allows investors to reap interest from the trade in legally-grown cannabis, has touched upon Malta, with several investors reporting losing large sums of money. "My family lost over €108,000 through the scam. We don't know what we can do," one of the vic- tims who spoke to this newspaper said. At least 40 other Maltese in- vestors are believed to have lost their savings with Juicy Fields, fil- ing criminal complaints with the po- lice. Investigations in Germany and Spain are also ongoing. €1.95 Cannabis Ponzi scheme leaves Maltese investors penniless Canna-cowboys PAGE 4 MATTHEW AGIUS A plea bargain for 35 years in prison for two of the men accused of assassinating journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia has been mooted in unofficial talks with their de- fence counsel. The 'unofficial' offer of 35 years to Degiorgio brothers George (pictured) and Al- fred was made in reply to a request from the two men to identify all individuals who commissioned the murder, and information on other major crimes, MaltaToday is informed. But sources privy to these exchanges between the At- torney General and the De- giorgio's lawyer believe any such talks are on the verge of collapsing due to the absence of any meaningful incentive for cooperation. Under Maltese law, the of- ficial punishment for mur- der is imprisonment for life, which means that a convict will die in prison. Given that George Degiorgio is current- ly 59 years old and his broth- er Alfred, 57, they would leave prison as octogenarians under the unofficial offer. How can this war end, according to Maltese experts? PAGES 14-15 Another way of looking at drugs by reducing harm MT 2 Interview Political groups jockey for influential posts, as Metsola aide tapped for top job PAGE 10 The Brussels parachute PAGE 2 UKRAINE MALTATODAY SURVEY & Trust Barometer PN takes bigger hit as support for major parties slips mt survey FULL SURVEY 12-13 The price of subsidies? Ministers told to find €200 million in budget 'savings' PAGE 3