Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1515420
7 NEWS maltatoday | SUNDAY • 4 FEBRUARY 2024 OPEN CALLS FOR PROJECT PROPOSALS IMPORTANT NOTICE Clarification on Eligible Applicants for Call VIII: Enhancing and Valorising Malta's Tourism Product With reference to the Announcement of Call VIII under the European Regional Development Fund issued on 26 th November 2023, the Managing Authority responsible for the ERDF/CF/JTF 2021-2027 Programme would like to announce that apart from Local Councils and Non- Governmental Organisations as stated in the call for proposals, it will also be considering project proposals submitted by Cultural Organisations having a public interest as listed in the Arts Council Malta Act, 2014. Extension of Closing Date for Project Proposals The Managing Authority responsible for the ERDF/CF/JTF 2021-2027 Programme would like to notify interested applicants that the closing date for the below two calls is being extended as follows: • Call IV: Investing in Specialised Recreational Facilities for Persons with a Disability or Illness and their Families open to Non-Governmental Organisations and Voluntary Organisations is being extended from 22 nd March 2024 to 30 th April 2024, noon. • Call VIII: Enhancing and Valorising Malta's Tourism Product open to Local Councils, Non- Governmental Organisations and Cultural Organisations having a public interest is being extended from 8 th March 2024 to 30 th April 2024, noon. For further information, the Managing Authority can be contacted via email at fondi.eu@gov.mt. A judge has upheld an injunction to prevent one of the co-founders of a search and rescue NGO from attempting to remove the other co-founder's directorship or share- holding. The decision concerns an inter- nal power struggle between the founders of the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS), triggered by marital separation proceedings. The application for the warrant was filed in December 2023 by Italian businesswoman Regina Egle Liotta against her estranged American husband Chris Catram- bone, in the context of separation proceedings. The former couple are the co-founders of MOAS, a Mal- ta-based humanitarian NGO that has rescued tens of thousands of vulnerable people from dangerous situations in the Mediterranean and Aegean seas, and helped many thousands more by supplying food and medical aid to Rohingya refu- gees in Bangladesh and providing critical medical care to civilians in Ukraine. Liotta cites the breakup of their marriage as the context for what she described as "a malicious and premeditated action by the defend- ant aimed at completely and with- out justification, removing his wife from ownership of the companies." The plaintiff also states that Ca- trambone is the beneficial owner of the American company Tan- giers International LLC, which also owns Tangiers Group and accused him of attempting to remove her from the board of that company, as well as Tangiers Internation- al P.L.C and a related company, ReSyH Ltd, through a series of planned legal manoeuvers, ulti- mately aimed at transferring the companies to the USA. She requested a warrant of pro- hibitory injunction that would pre- vent Catrambone from, amongst other things, transferring or selling his shares in a number of joint- ly-owned companies, removing her as director or otherwise re- structuring them. Tangiers Group P.L.C. MOAS' parent company is one of the five companies listed in the injunction. Although Tangiers International Ltd had been incor- porated shortly before the parties -who are also its shareholders to- gether with Tangiers Group Ltd - married, the latter company had been set up after they had wed. In her application, Liotta told the court that she had come to know of a document which, she alleged, lays out the "planned manoeuvres," and details the steps that should be followed to remove her from the Board of Tangiers International Ltd and ReSyH Ltd. She also states that she had been locked out of her official email ad- dresses without being given a rea- son, rendering her unable to access banks, payment provider platforms and all of the companies' internal systems. Company employees had also been instructed "not to com- municate with [Liotta] in any cir- cumstances," said the plaintiff. Catrambone contested the in- junction, arguing amongst other things that Maltese courts did not have jurisdiction over the matter and pointed out that the couple had already commenced separation proceedings in the USA, and that Liotta had already acquiesced to court proceedings in New Orleans by responding to Catrambone's case and filing a counter-claim. Such injunctions are upheld sum- marily on the basis of prima facie evidence, before the case on the merits begins. In a ruling, handed down from chambers on Friday, confirming the upholding of the injunction, Madame Justice Audrey Demicoli highlighted that these were sum- mary proceedings about whether there were prima facie grounds to uphold the request for a pre- cautionary warrant. The defence's contestation on jurisdictional grounds was something that would be dealt with in a case on the mer- its. Liotta had a prima facie valid right to protect her interests in the community of acquests from being reduced in value or transferred to others, which was the exclusive source of income for both parties for the duration of their marriage, said the judge, agreeing that the in- junction was necessary to prevent her suffering irremediable preju- dice. The case will now move on to the merits unless the plea of jurisdic- tion is upheld. Lawyer Kris Scicluna is assisting Liotta's special mandatary, lawyer Veronique Dalli. Lawyer Robert Thake is representing Catram- bone. Injunction granted in separation case between migrant aid NGO co-founders MATTHEW AGIUS magius@mediatoday.com.mt