Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1483254
5 NEWS 03.11.2022 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Pilatus Bank money laundering case: court berates prosecution's delays AFTER the witnesses finished giv- ing their evidence, which was mainly administrative in nature, prosecu- tor Ramon Bonett Sladden asked the court for a long adjournment, in order to allow the prosecution to identify whether there were any further wit- nesses whose evidence it needed. "Careful what you wish for," replied the magistrate. "We aren't playing games: we have people struck by freezing orders." Defence lawyer Stefano Filletti told the court that there were certain wit- nesses which the AG was obliged to summon but had not. The lawyer re- minded the prosecution that its role was to bring "all evidence for and against the accused." One of those witnesses was Pilatus Bank's Risk Manager, Antoniella Gau- ci, who lived in Malta and who was not subject to criminal proceedings. Gauci's name cropped up in a lot of the correspondence, Filletti said. De- spite this, however, she had not been asked to testify so far. This in addition to other directors abroad who have ar- rest warrants issued against them and who are therefore unlikely to testify, added the lawyer. "The prosecution cannot continue to be managed in this manner," remarked the magistrate, the exasperation clear in her voice. "It is not befitting your Office [that the court has] to force the prosecution to bring witnesses for and against the accused. If you want a long adjournment you must justify it." "It's not on to have a prosecution dealt with in this way. This is not a prosecution… this practice of yours that every time [a witness deposes] you squeeze the testimony to find more witnesses to testify. You're not David Copperfield, pulling rabbits out of hats!" The court asked Bonnett Sladden how long he envisaged was needed to fill the next sitting. "An hour and a half," replied the prosecutor. Glancing at his notes, Filletti ob- served that it was the third time that one of today's witnesses had testified. "Don't forget that after this, there is an interminable queue for the trial to be appointed," he said. The magistrate demanded an expla- nation as to why the prosecution had once again failed to bring the remain- ing witnesses to court today. "You cannot take this lightly! You are un- dermining the judicial process which must be completed within a reasona- ble time. It is a disgrace, a disgrace!" The request for a long adjournment was refused. "It is you who are bringing this situ- ation upon the court. Never, not as a prosecutor nor as a magistrate have I ever had to take these measures. I'm imploring you to look at the bigger picture," the magistrate said. It made no sense to continue drip feeding witnesses to the court with the inquiry already complete, said the magistrate. "The evidence is already there. This will take years. Have some pride, if you believe in your own case." The court ordered the compilation of evidence to continue next week. MR. Riley's been around since 1974, mak- ing the brand 47 years old (and counting)! Nowadays, Mr. Riley offers a wide range of snacks for all the family to enjoy. Mr. Riley recently had the pleasure of meeting local artist Julian Cini, who rec- reated the brand image in his own style. is collaboration involved a vibrant, eye-catching mural, at the premises of Ri- mus Group in Bulebel, Zejtun. e mural design involves intricate draw- ings of the flagship products that Mr. Ri- ley is best known for: French Fries, Party Time and Pizza Rings. At the event, Julian Cini said, "I would like to thank Mr Riley and the Communiqué team for making this dream come true. From an idea that I had when I posted on social media ¬¬— mixing my style with other local Maltese brands — to this big collaboration, creat- ing a vibrant modern mural referencing Mr. Riley snacks. It's quite inspiring for me to keep on creating and inspire others." e unveiling of Julian Cini's mural coin- cided with the op ening of the competition. "Working with Julian and seeing such cre- ativity made everyone at the brand want to see more local art," said Bernice Micallef, managing director at Communiqué and one of the directors of the Rimus Group. "is inspired us to use the Mr. Riley brand to support teenagers and young adults in their artistic endeavours by launching the Snack Attack Art Competition, there- by giving all entrants the opportunity to get their hands on the kinds of prizes any young artist would like to have. We're talking about digital graphic tablets, both with and without displays, and art supply vouchers." is competition is open to anyone over 13, however if anyone under the age of 13 would like to participate, then they can also submit, as long as they are aware that they will be competing against artists up to 16 years of age. e competition is open to two age groups: 13–16 and 17+. Entries can show Mr. Riley or the French Fries pack against any backdrop — and artists are free to use whichever creative style, medium or platform they would like to use. Both digital and non-digital for- mats are accepted. Multiple submissions are permitted, but each artwork must be registered separately. It's important to register by 15th Novem- ber, as the deadline for all submissions is 15th December 2022. e winner will be announced by 21st December, just in time for Christmas. Registration is quick and easy at https:// rimusgroup.com/mr-riley/snackattackart/ Mr Riley launches Snack Attack Art Competition Artist Julian Cini and Mr Riley Engineering conference a success ON 14 October, the Chamber of En- gineers organised the 29th Annual Engineering Conference, themed Sustainable Development Goals: An Engineering Perspective — a full-day event defined as successful and re- warding by the numerous delegates in attendance. e conference was opened by the President Inġ. Malcolm Zammit and hosted by Inġ. Ansel Briffa. e opening address was followed by speeches from the legislators for the engineering pro- fession, namely: the Minister for Public Works and Planning Hon. Dr Stefan Zrinzo-Azzopardi and Opposition Spokesperson for Infrastructure Hon. Inġ. Ryan Callus. e Conference pro- gramme also included the participation of 24 local and international keynote speakers, including representatives of the European Commission and FEANI. During his opening address, Cham- ber President Inġ. Malcolm Zammit emphasised the impact of engineers on the United Nations Sustainable De- velopment Goals (SDGs), highlighting that "legislators, policymakers and rep- resentatives need to reflect this global agenda through their own vision. e positive influence that engineers and technocrats can potentially have on policymaking cannot be underestimat- ed any longer. Instead, as engineers we need to step up and voice our expert views on matters of national impor- tance such as energy, water and waste management, sustainable manufactur- ing, sustainable buildings, the circular economy and other sectors where the engineer proves crucial" e Annual Engineering Conference showcased a breadth of sustainable practices in private and public entities, multiple policy actions intended to im- prove quality of life and several research efforts which are making processes and products more sustainable. Sustainable Development Goals: An Engineering Perspective was supported by various local and overseas entities including the European Commission DG-ENV, FEANI, SIA & Swiss Engi- neering, Bank of Valletta, Tuning Fork Advisory, Schneider Electric, Tech.mt, MCST, e Malta Chamber, University of Malta, MCAST and the Ministry for Environment, Energy and Enterprise. e CoE wishes to thank the organis- ers, the sponsors, the speakers, and the participants for making the 29th Annu- al Engineering Conference a success, and one expected to continue to bear fruits moving forward. e 29th Annual Engineering Confer- ence, Sustainable Development Goals: An Engineering Perspective was spon- sored by the Ministry for Public Works and Planning, STMicroelectronics, Wastesers, Water Services Corpora- tion, RSM & Bureau Veritas Group, Multigas, T4B Services, Aurobindo Pharma, Toly Products, Altern, Varci- ties and JustNature.