Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1504886
6 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 2 AUGUST 2023 NEWS NEWS NICOLE MEILAK OPPOSITION members on the public accounts committee re- quested the Speaker's interven- tion after government members announced they would not be attending sittings during sum- mer recess. In a letter dated 31 July, the committee president Darren Carabott, requested the Speak- er of the House to provide guid- ance to the PAC concerning the statement made by four govern- ment members who refused to attend meetings of the Commit- tee during the summer recess. According to the Nationalist Party, the government mem- bers said "they were only willing to fulfil their duty" after parlia- ment's summer recess. The Speaker has since re- sponded to the letter and point- ed out that no committee can meet without a quorum. How- ever, the Speaker also said that this matter should be discussed in the committee. "[The Speaker] is aware that such work requires, as always, the common sense, goodwill and commitment of the mem- bers, and so [the Speaker] rec- ommend that an agreement be found when the committee meets," the Speaker said In his letter to the Speaker, Carabott described the govern- ment MPs decision as an abuse of power. "I feel that it is irresponsible and an abuse of power that a member of the committee, irre- spective of the fact that they are the government's parliamenta- ry group whip, directly informs the witness Joseph Muscat that the meeting has been cancelled because the members of the government do not want to at- tend and so a quorum will not be reached," the letter to the Speaker reads. The committee is currently reviewing the Auditor General's report on all contracts awarded to Electrogas by Enemalta. Elec- trogas was the winning bidder in a government tender to build and operate a gas power station. The concession has been rid- dled in controversy, especially after the audit report identified certain irregularities in the due diligence on the tender and in the bank guarantee provided by the government to Electrogas. At the last committee session, former prime minister Joseph Muscat suggested that the Na- tional Auditor Office carry out a cost-benefit analysis on the Electrogas project. Labour MPs refuse to attend PAC summer sessions, chairman asks Speaker for advice Parliament is currently in summer recess, and the government MPs sitting on the PAC are refusing to attend committee hearings during the recess MATTHEW VELLA A 68-year-old pensioner was fined over €60,000 and earned a two-year prison sentence sus- pended for four, on money laun- dering charges. A criminal court president by Magistrate Donatella Fren- do Dimech decreed that Mario Brignone, while guilty of laun- dering the proceeds of drug trafficking, had been caught up in a world of criminality con- trived by his son Josef Zammit, 30, of Marsaskala. The elderly man and his son, already on on two sets of bail conditions each, were last year remanded in custody on aggra- vated drug possession, mon- ey laundering and bail breach charges. Brignone, 68, of Bormla and his son, Josef Zammit, both pleaded not guilty to the charg- es. The charges were connect- ed to the discovery of a crack cocaine lab and various hard drugs in a property under their control. A search of Brignone's house turned up cash hidden in- side domestic appliances. A key found under the doormat, matched an abandoned resi- dence opposite, where more drugs and cash were found, together with equipment used to manufacture crack cocaine. Police there found almost €15,000 in cash, with investi- gations revealing he had with- drawn some €8,800. Brignone, a pensioner, receives just over €700 a month from a state pen- sion, and told police he had a gambling addiction. The Court said the accused did not have a "worrisome" criminal record, but that he had only admitted to the charg- es when the defence was asked to submit its evidence. "The accused was trying to hide the proceeds from drug trafficking, a crime in which the accused is benefiting from the addic- tions of his victim. At 68, the accused should have known better yet the Court has to con- sider that he is caught up under the control of his son and his criminal life. As agreed with the prosecution, a jail sentence for the accused would not be appropriate, given that the amount laundered was of just over €15,000." Apart from the suspended sentence, Brignone was fined €20,000, ordered to pay over €24,000 in court expenses, and forfeited the €20,000 deposit paid for his conditional release. Pensioner gets suspended sentence for laundering son's drugs lab cash Two-year jail sentence suspended for four years for Mario Brignone, with €20,000 fine for money laundering proceeds from son's crack-cocaine drug lab Josef Zammit (pictured) and his father were charged with aggravated drug possession and money laundering (Photo: Facebook)