Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1545856
2 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 15 JULY 2026 NEWS Degiorgios communicated phone with Melvin THE Malta Information Tech- nology Agency (MITA), the government's IT agency, con- firmed that there has been a disruption to online e-ID ser- vices with users unable to ac- cess portals. "We are currently experienc- ing an interruption in e-ID ser- vices," MITA announced on Facebook, confirming that its technical teams are currently investigation the situation and working to restore the system. The agency said further up- dates will be provided as soon as possible. On Tuesday, users attempt- ing to log in through e-ID were met with loading delays and subsequent errors. In its statement, MITA apol- ogised for any inconveniences caused by the disruption and thanked the public for its un- derstanding. The disruption affected stu- dents trying to access the My- Exams and MATSEC portals as SEC and A-Level examina- tion results which were due to be released today. Responding to a parliamen- tary question asked by MP Romilda Zarb and Opposition MP Darren Carrabott, Educa- tion Minister Byron Camilleri said MITA is prioritising stu- dents by focusing its efforts towards MATSEC-related servers to ensure they can ac- cess their examination results as soon as possible. Camilleri did not go into detail on the cause of the dis- ruption but confirmed that the problem affected the entire e-ID system. He said the situ- ation was gradually stabilising and expressed hope that access would be restored shortly. Nationalist Party MP Jerome Caruana Cilia commented on the issue, saying that while technical problems can occur, it is unacceptable for large numbers of students to be un- able to access their results be- cause of a government system failure. The same can be said for the MyHealth system as well as that of the Malta Tax and Cus- toms Administration. Users trying to access the ARMS and Planning Authority portals al- so experienced difficulties. Government IT agency confirms disruption to e-ID service Users could not access government websites requiring e-ID login EVA BRANNON ebrannon@mediatoday.com.mt CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1 Prosecutor Godwin Cini then returned to the bomb used in the assassination. Muscat tes- tified that George Degiorgio had instructed Robert Agius and Jamie Vella that the device had to be more powerful than the bomb used in the attempt- ed murder of Romeo Bone be- cause they "wanted Daphne dead, not injured." He said a petrol-filled bottle was incor- porated into the explosive to amplify the blast and that Al- fred Degiorgio deliberately placed it beneath the driver's seat to maximise the damage. Muscat also reaffirmed earli- er allegations involving Chris Cardona, testifying that Alfred Degiorgio had told him Cardo- na was receiving information on Daphne Caruana Galizia's movements from former dep- uty police commissioner Silvio Valletta through an intermedi- ary. Muscat also confirmed his previous testimony that Alfred Degiorgio had told him Car- dona communicated through Edward Gatt, who would then relay information to Silvio Val- letta. The court also heard fresh evidence concerning Muscat's decision to cooperate with po- lice. He claimed Robert Agius and Jamie Vella offered his fa- ther-in-law €1,500 a month if Muscat did not mention them to investigators, but said the offer was refused. Muscat fur- ther testified that after agree- ing to speak to police in the hope of obtaining a presiden- tial pardon, George and Alfred Degiorgio confronted him in prison after learning he was co- operating. According to Mus- cat, the brothers had access to a mobile phone in prison through which they commu- nicated with Melvin Theuma, leaving him fearful for his fam- ily's safety after hearing threats that acid would be thrown at his children. Muscat also repeated allega- tions against his former lawyer Arthur Azzopardi, claiming Azzopardi encouraged him to falsely tell police that Melvin Theuma owed him money while he was seeking a pres- idential pardon. Muscat in- sisted he was the first person to mention Theuma to police, adding: "The police got where they got because of me." Questioned about his first interviews with investiga- tors, Muscat recalled asking Keith Arnaud whether Yor- gen Fenech would be charged. Muscat said he felt sympathy for Fenech because he was "a prominent person" but main- tained he never knew who was giving instructions to Melvin Theuma and believed all pay- ments for the assassination came through him. Defence lawyer Giannella de Marco begin an extensive cross-examination focusing largely on the abandoned 2015 murder plot. Muscat main- tained that George Degiorgio had told him then minister Chris Cardona wanted Daph- ne Caruana Galizia killed and confirmed he personally drove George Degiorgio to Porto- maso to meet Cardona. He also testified that lawyer Da- vid Gatt was due to receive a share of the agreed €150,000 payment and that the group had already begun surveillance on Caruana Galizia before the 2015 plot collapsed because the promised deposit never ar- rived. One of the day's most signif- icant revelations concerned contact between the alleged plotters and the journalist her- self. Referring Muscat to his previous testimony, the de- fence established that George Degiorgio had allegedly ob- tained Caruana Galizia's mo-