Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1546858
2 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 30 SEPTEMBER 2026 NEWS CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1 Central to the case are figures given in parliament showing that between 1 June 2025 and 31 May 2026, PBS news bulletins broad- cast 532 sound-on-tape clips, known as SOTs, from government members, compared with 66 from members of the Opposition. The figures were provided by the min- ister responsible for broadcasting after a parliamentary question by PN MP Michael Piccinino. The minister explained that the vast majority of the government's 532 appearances involved ministers carrying out their official duties, such as announcing government policies, services, schemes, pro- jects and other initiatives, rather than taking part in partisan politi- cal activities. But the PN disputes this argu- ment. It says government policies, schemes and projects are them- selves matters of current public policy and therefore fall within the constitutional requirement of due impartiality. Furthermore, the PN argues that the Constitution imposes two separate obligations on the Broadcasting Authority (BA): To ensure due impartiality on matters of political controver- sy and current public policy; and to ensure that broadcasting facili- ties and airtime are appropriately distributed between people from different political parties. Accord- ing to the party, satisfying one of those requirements does not re- move the obligation to satisfy the other. Three previous findings of imbalance The PN argues that the latest figures are particularly significant because the BA had already up- held three previous complaints by the party over imbalance on PBS. The first complaint dates back to July 2022 and concerned the difference between the num- ber of government and Opposi- tion speakers appearing in a TVM news bulletin. On 23 August 2022, the authority found what it described as a "strong and clear" imbalance and instructed PBS to ensure appropriate representa- tion between government and Opposition speakers interviewed in its news bulletins. Seven months later, the PN complained again, this time over TVM bulletins aired on 28 Febru- ary, 1 March and 2 March 2023. The Broadcasting Authority up- held that complaint on 29 March 2023. It found that although PBS had reduced the number of in- terviews with government rep- resentatives, it was still failing to obtain comments from Opposi- tion representatives when these were needed. None of the three bulletins examined contained an Opposition representative. A third complaint followed in February 2024. During those pro- ceedings, figures supplied by PBS showed 351 SOTs from govern- ment representatives compared with 27 from the Opposition. The BA examined TVM news bulletins broadcast between April 2023 and February 2024 and again found that interviews and com- ments were not being distribut- ed appropriately. Ministers and other government representatives were being interviewed consider- ably more often than representa- tives of the Opposition and other political parties. In its decision of 25 March 2024, the authority up- held the PN's complaint and rep- rimanded PBS. It also warned that if PBS continued failing to follow its directions, the authority would have no alternative but to take further measures. The PN now argues that those further measures were never tak- en. It says the more recent figure of 532 government SOTs com- pared with 66 Opposition SOTs shows that the problem contin- ued despite the three previous decisions. The party therefore ar- gues that its case is not about an isolated TVM bulletin, but about what it describes as a continuing and systematic failure to correct an imbalance which the Broad- casting Authority had itself re- peatedly identified. BA refused PN request for monitoring data The PN is also complaining about the Broadcasting Author- ity's refusal to provide informa- tion showing how PBS was being monitored. The party asked the authority for information cover- ing the period between June 2025 and May 2026. According to the application, the authority replied that the information it collected was for "internal analysis" and told the PN to request the information directly from PBS. The PN's law- yers challenged that response. They reminded the authority of an earlier court judgment con- cerning a similar request in which the court had found that the regu- lator had been wrong in law to say it was not the competent body to obtain such information. Accord- PN accuses PBS of government sound CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1 Oumakhlouf was found dead in Spinola Garden in the early hours of Sunday morning after suffer- ing a blow to the back of his head. The suspect, 27-year-old Pol- ish tourist Sebastian Malinowski, pleaded not guilty to the charges when he was arraigned in court on Monday. Oumakhlouf had come to Mal- ta to work and help support his family, including his younger brother. His relatives are now preparing to bury him in Moroc- co while they await further infor- mation on what led to the fatal altercation. President of the Moroc- can Community Dounia Borg Lakehal told MaltaToday that Oumakhlouf's parents had ex- pressed their wish for him to be buried in his home country, with arrangements now underway for his body to be repatriated. Borg said the authorities re- leased Oumakhlouf's body on Tuesday morning, allowing the family to begin the process of bringing him home. Because Morocco's diplomat- ic mission accredited to Malta is based in Rome, the necessary documentation is being handled through Moroccan authorities there. Malta's foreign minis- try also lists the Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in Rome as the diplomatic mission accredit- ed to Malta. According to Borg, Oumakhlouf's Moroccan pass- port and relevant documenta- tion were sent to the diplomatic authorities in Rome, who then contacted his family to establish whether they wanted him buried in Malta or Morocco. She said a person assisting with the funeral arrangements will now collect the required doc- uments and forward them to Rome before Oumakhlouf's body is repatriated to his family. Borg also provided investiga- tors with the contact details of the Moroccan consular authori- ties to facilitate communication between police and the diplomat- ic mission. Borg, who attended Monday's arraignment on behalf of Oumakhlouf's family, said she had spoken directly with both his mother and father. Oumakhlouf also leaves behind a younger brother. 'He came to Malta to help his family' Oumakhlouf had been living in Malta for around one year and one month and was employed by a construction company, Borg said. Although the Moroccan Com- munity in Malta does not per- sonally know every Moroccan national living on the island, Borg said she learnt more about Oumakhlouf through his friends and the company for which he worked. They described him, she said, as "a good young man who kept to himself." "He came to Malta to help his family," Borg said. What remains unclear to those close to him, however, is what triggered the confrontation which led to his death. Borg said she had asked as recently as Tuesday morning whether any information was available about what had led to the fight, but was told that details could not yet be provided. She said Oumakhlouf was alone at the time, meaning there was nobody with him who could ex- plain his version of how the inci- dent began. Moroccan community supporting family Borg heads the Moroccan Community in Malta, an NGO which was established in 2012 and works to assist Moroccan nationals living on the island. She said the organisation was initially set up to help Moroccans who encountered difficulties ac- cessing their rights or needed practical assistance while living in Malta. The community holds meetings periodically, while members can also contact the organisation by telephone when they need help. Its work also includes bringing people together during Rama- dan, including Moroccan work- ers and students living in Malta, and organising communal meals. The organisation also partic- ipates in meetings with NGOs and other organisations, Borg said, gathering information which may be useful to Moroc- can nationals living in Malta. The Moroccan Community in Malta was established in August 2012, with Borg identified as its founding president in earlier public information about the or- ganisation. Polish man pleads not guilty Oumakhlouf was found dead at Spinola Garden in St Julian's ear- ly on Sunday morning. Police were alerted at around 6.30am on 27 September after receiving a report that an injured person had been found inside the garden. Officers and medical per- sonnel went to the scene, where Oumakhlouf was certified dead. Investigators subsequently gathered CCTV footage and spoke to eyewitnesses. Police told the court that the infor- mation gathered indicated that Oumakhlouf had been involved in a verbal and physical confron- tation with another man shortly before emergency services were called. Police obtained images and a description of a suspect and be- gan searching the surrounding area. At around 8am, officers from the Rapid Intervention Unit located a man matching the de- scription in the St George's Bay area. The court heard that he was wearing the same clothing seen in CCTV footage of the incident. Sebastian Malinowski, a 27-year-old Polish national, was arrested and later charged over Oumakhlouf's death. He is accused of wilfully causing Oumakhlouf's death and of caus- ing grievous bodily harm result- ing in death. Malinowski pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on Mon- day. The defence did not request bail at that stage, and the case is now expected to proceed to the compilation of evidence. Reporting by Jaelle Borg Family awaits answers after fatal St Julian's altercation The family of Abdellatif Oumakhlouf (left) have began the process of bringing him home