Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1521709
4 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 2 JUNE 2024 NEWS FOR SALE QUAD BIKE BOMBARDIER 650CC (2006). My black and yellow beautiful almost immaculate, always serviced quad is, with a heavy heart for sale. She is licensed till October 2024 and road ready. It's now time for someone else to enjoy. Annual road is €259. Asking price is €4500. Call or WhatsApp on 79990807. ONE of former prime Joseph Muscat's most loyal support- ers, Jason Micallef, faced off with Repubblika honorary president Robert Aquilina on Radju Malta's Vi Jew Va, in- sisting that the former Labour leader was innocent of all crim- inal allegations. Muscat stands accused of money laundering and other charges, together with his for- mer collaborators, in the Vi- tals-Steward hospitals PPP, a criminal trial stemming from Aquilina's criminal report to Magistrate Gabriella Vella. Micallef, formerly Labour secretary-general, hit out at Repubblika and Aquilina, ac- cusing the latter and his asso- ciates of fomenting "obsessive" hatred towards Labour voters and Muscat. "His lawyer, Jason Azzopar- di, has long been stoking the flames. In one social media post he invoked his followers to treat Muscat's arraignment as a 'Bastille moment'. What is even that – does he want to burn down Valletta? You should dis- associate yourself from Azzo- pardi… be a man, and condemn such statements." Frequently at each other's throat, the two men's confron- tation was replete with barbs fired off at each other. Micallef insisted that the magisterial in- quiry itself has stated that no evidence yet existed of any pay- ments to Muscat directly from the Vitals PPP. Aquilina opined that it was explicitly suspect- ed that Muscat had benefitted from payments masked in the form of services from Steward to the payroll company Accu- tor. Micallef said Aquilina's criti- cism was also based on a sim- ple hatred of Muscat and his electoral success and against Labour. "Lawrence Gonzi was a prime minister and later al- lowed himself to act as a con- sultant for any private business he wanted… he can do it, but Muscat cannot, in Aquilina's eyes." Micallef also accused Repub- blika of deliberately avoiding any mention of Egrant, the se- cret Panama offshore compa- ny that Muscat was accused of owning. "The same experts appointed on the Vitals magisterial in- quiry were the ones who car- ried out the Egrant investiga- tion: and yet Repubblika say nothing of the fact that Maria Efimova, the alleged whistle- blower, is wanted for perjury." Aquilina retorted that the court experts appointed by Magistrate Gabriella Vella had clearly stated that Joseph Mus- cat's fingerprints are "all over the hospitals' theft". "There are already two court sentences that have confirmed that the Vitals-Steward PPP took place through collusion and fraudulently, with direct involvement of government of- ficials," Aquilina said. "The inquiry we requested is to establish who these thieves were – the same court experts appointed in the Egrant case, have now pointed their finger at Joseph Muscat." Micallef accused Robert Aq- uilina, often addressing him as "the Curia's notary" through- out the radio programme, of having taken extreme liberty in denigrating Muscat, his follow- ers, or servants of the State that do not confirm to their whims. "He has called the Attorney General 'a pig', he claims the Commissioner of Police has a problem with anger man- agement… what kind of dia- lectic has this been anyway? The people in Valletta greeted Muscat in serenity and with love towards him… while Aq- uilina allowed himself to ac- cuse Muscat of having 'blood on his hands', well in contempt of court, while we were congre- gated on the second floor of the courthouse. We could have re- ported him to the police there and then, but we didn't…" Aquilina said the police had thanked Repubblika for having been proactive in ensuring no incident take place on the day that Muscat was criminally ar- raigned for money laundering, amongst other charges, in con- nection with the Vitals hospital PPP. "I never objected to the peo- ple who availed themselves of their right to protest, but in the way the protest took place – I would have wanted barriers to make the place safe enough for people to enter. It was Angelo Gafà personally, who instruct- ed the police not to provide such procedures," Aquilina said. Micallef and Aquilina: Muscat's friend and persecutor in Radju Malta confrontation First votes cast in European Parliament and local council elections MATTHEW VELLA mvella@mediatoday.com.mt THE first votes in the European Parliament and local council elec- tions were cast yesterday in Malta and Gozo on the day reserved for early voting. Just over 10,000 voters filed a declaration to be able to vote a week before election day proper, which is on 8 June. There were 10,108 voters eligi- ble to vote in the EP election and 10,139 voters eligible to vote in lo- cal elections who registered with the Electoral Commission to vote early. Voting took place at the Naxxar counting hall for voters registered in Malta, and at the Experimental Farm in Xewkija for those regis- tered in Gozo. Doors opened at 7am and poll- ing ended at 10pm. Early voting was made easi- er this year since anybody who wanted to vote early could do so without having any particular reason. The procedure was also simplified because voters could file their declaration online. Before, early voting was only possible for those who would be abroad or in hospital on election day. Elderly people resident in care homes were also entitled to vote in the residence where they are staying. Early voting will also take place on Thursday 6 June in hospitals to enable patients to vote. Meanwhile, voters who have not yet collected their voting document can do so until today at noon from police stations and local council offices. After today, voting documents will have to be collected from the Naxxar counting hall. Election day proper is Saturday 8 June, when polling stations across the islands will open at 7am and close at 10pm. Malta elects six MEPs and voters will also be choosing hundreds of councillors to serve in the 68 local councils across Malta and Gozo. Jason Micallef (left) and Robert Aquilina KURT SANSONE ksansone@mediatoday.com.mt