Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1539741
Secretary found guilty of defrauding €530,000 from employer, ordered to pay back full amount 7 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 24 SEPTEMBER 2025 NEWS Malta's Autism Advisory Council disputes Trump claim linking autism to paracetamol use THE Autism Advisory Council (AAC) has urged caution re- garding the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which is seemingly linking paracetamol to autism. On Monday, US President Donald Trump said that doctors will soon be advised not to pre- scribe Tylenol, the brand name for paracetamol in the US. Trump's claims were disputed by medical experts, health offi- cials, and doctors who insisted that studies show no clear link between the use of the painkill- er among pregnant women and autism. In Malta, the AAC stressed that while different studies have been cited, there is currently nothing in those studies that proves di- rect causation. They insisted that the fact that some women took paracetamol during pregnancy and their chil- dren were eventually diagnosed with autism does not establish a direct link, unless the supporting data demonstrates this outcome "regularly and consistently". The AAC pointed to a Harvard/ Mount Sinai review that exam- ined 46 studies related to this issue. The review concluded that the results were so inconsistent that researchers were unable to perform a wide analysis. Out of the 46 studies reviewed, only 27 showed "some kind of associa- tion." The council added that the lead author of the review explicitly stated that the research "cannot answer the question about causa- tion". This type of association was compared to the phenome- non of both ice cream sales and crime increasing in the summer. The AAC reminded that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) also confirmed its earli- er official guidance on the use of paracetamol during pregnancy remains unchanged. The council warned that pre- senting such theories as fact is "unprofessional and unfair," es- pecially when directed at preg- nant women. They added that such claims risk racking others with guilt, leading them to be- lieve that their child's autism is the direct result of having taken a painkiller during pregnancy. The Autism Advisory Council also drew attention to the rec- ommendation of giving children the supplement leucovorin. Cur- rently, leucovorin is only admin- istered to chemotherapy patients in Malta. The AAC explained that while some research has suggested a possible association to improv- ing speech in minimally verbal children, these results are still considered "early and anecdo- tal". MAYA GALEA mgalea@mediatoday.com.mt A 52-year-old part-time secre- tary from Mosta has been found guilty of defrauding her former employer, €530,585.84 through the misuse of signed blank cheques. She was ordered to reimburse her employer the full amount and also to pay an additional €42,000 in accrued interest. Josephine Baldacchino was ar- raigned in 2021 and pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, in- cluding misappropriation, fraud, falsification of documents, mis- use of signed cheques, and mon- ey laundering. The alleged offences reported- ly occurred over seven years and were described by the prosecu- tion as particularly serious due to the significant breach of trust involved. Following the discovery of the alleged fraud, her employer, Marius Muscat filed a sworn application to the Civil Court to recover the sums taken unlaw- fully. Muscat employed Baldacchi- no as his administrative work- er, who was responsible for processing payments to third parties, among other duties. Ac- cording to details provided by Bank of Valletta, between 2016 and 2021, Baldacchino issued a series of cheques totaling over €521,245.36 to herself. The employer, who is illiterate, reportedly signed the cheques at her instruction, thinking he was preparing the cheques in favour of third parties. With no alter- native means of recovering the funds, Muscat sought restitu- tion through the courts. During proceedings, the court examined the cheques and heard testimony from Johanna Bartolo, a BOV representative, who confirmed that the cheques were issued in Muscat's name and bore the same bank account number. After reviewing all evidence, the court was convinced that Baldacchino acted fraudulently. It was determined that Bal- dacchino unlawfully took €530,585.84, and the court or- dered her to repay the sum in full. In addition, the court or- dered the woman to pay inter- est on the amount, a total of €42,446.86, and ruled that the interest will continue to accrue annually from 2022 until the full repayment is completed. Defence lawyer Matthew Xuereb appeared for Muscat while Roberto Montalto ap- peared for Baldacchino. Judge Audrey Demicoli presided. The accused issued a series of cheques totaling over €521,245.36 to herself MATTHEW FARRUGIA mfarrugia@mediatoday.com.mt On Monday, US President Donald Trump said that doctors will soon be advised not to prescribe Tylenol, the brand name for paracetamol in the US