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MW 12 March 2014

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maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 12 MARCH 2014 News 4 GENERAL PROGRAMME SOLIDARITY & MANAGEMENT OF MIGRATION FLOWS 2007-2013 Tender is part-financed from the European Union External Border Funds (EBF) Co-financing rate: 75% EU Funds: 25% National Funds Sustainable Management of Migration Flows Estranged wife demands €5.5 million in maintenance – gets €33,000 CHRIS MANGION ANTHONY Cassar was ordered by the courts to pay his former wife €33,000 in child support and fines after his wife filed a €5.5 million sup- port claim. Bella Cassar filed against her former husband and companies An- gerton Enterprises and Townhouse Limited, after the accused lapsed on his maintenance payment. The two companies were listed as his guaran- tors. Magistrate Josette Demicoli was told that in their separation agree- ment, the husband agreed to pay Cassar a capital sum together with monthly maintenance payments and to finance the education of their children. The agreement read that a penalty of €1,000 daily would be in- curred if the husband delayed pay- ment over three days. On 3 December last year, Anger- ton Enterprises, Townhouse Ltd and Cassar Weaving Ltd confirmed they were liquid debtors in favour of Bella Cassar for the amount of €275,000. €30,000 were advanced to the wom- an and €20,000 was to be paid from a jewellery sale. The companies agreed that the balance of €225,000 would be paid in monthly payments of €5,000. However the last payment was is- sued in June 2012 and Bella Cassar filed court proceedings the follow- ing October, demanding payment of €5,506,000 based on the separation agreement. Screaming abuse and describing the civil suit as a form of usury, the accused argued that he could not keep up with the "extortionate" sums of money demanded by his estranged wife, due to debts and warrants is- sued against him. The Magistrate Court in Gozo or- dered the accused to pay a penalty of €25,000 to his former wife together with €8,550 in maintenance arrears. However Magistrate Demicoli stated that one of the couple's children had came of age and his education was no longer to be paid for by the father. Man handed suspended sentence after fracturing woman's jaw CHRIS MANGION CARMEL Zammit, 39 of Swieqi, was handed a suspended sen- tence after being found guilt y of fracturing a woman's jaw at the Bedouin Bar in St Julian's. The incident took place during the night of 13 July 2012, when Lynn Abela, Doriette Marmara and Claire Benetti were part ying at the bar in St Julian's. An argument erupted between the women and the accused, when allegedly he started insult- ing Marmara, with whom he had an affair some eight months be- fore. During the verbal exchange Zammit repeatedly threatened his former girlfriend, and argued that her friend Lynn Abela was the cause for her misdemeanour. In the scuff le the man pushed Marmara to the f loor, causing her a cranial fracture, and punched Abela, fracturing her jaw in two places. The man was slightly injured when he was hit with a glass. Taking the witness stand, Zam- mit claimed he had overheard the three women offending his sister- in-law Tania Caruana, who was also present at the bar. He also claimed that the three women had bad-mouthed Carua- na on Facebook and approached them to rebuke them over their behavior. He added that at that moment Abela hit him with a glass, and a fight ensued. Magistrate Neville Camilleri decreed that a prison term was not justified based on the dynam- ics of the incident. Having found the accused guilt y of grievously injuring Lynn Abela, he handed him a three-year jail term suspended for a year. The court also issued a protection order over against a guarantee of €1,000 and ordered Zammit to pay €219.81 in court fees. Download the MaltaToday App now Motorist fined €700 over negligent driving CHRIS MANGION PETER Mamo, 57 of Paola, was fined €700 and had his driv- ing license suspended for two months after being found guilty of seriously injuring a motorcy- clist due to his negligent driv- ing. On 6 December 2010, Mamo was driving up Triq Ghajn Dw- ieli, Paola, when he hit a motor- cyclist, John Pisani. Inspector Yurgen Vella ac- cused Mamo with negligent driving which led to the victim suffering grievous injuries. Taking the witness stand, Po- lice Sergeant Conrad Ellul de- scribed the scene of crime. "I discovered a car was involved in an accident with a motorcy- cle. The cyclist was complaining of pain in his leg and was taken to hospital by ambulance. The accused said that he was about to park when the incident hap- pened." The victim recounted how he was driving his motorbike up the road but was stuck in traffic. "However all of a sudden a car came from my right side and smashed into me without even attempting to brake. I was thrown off the bike and on im- pact the motorcycle's frame was badly damaged." A medical examination re- vealed he had suffered fractures to the tibia, fibula and toes. The accused rebutted Pisani's version claiming he was trying to access a parking bay when the motorcyclist overtook him on the inside, hit his left mudguard and fell. "I got out of the car and saw the victim limping. I tried to comfort him and called the am- bulance myself." The court explained that the two parties gave different ver- sions of what had happened, however "there is no doubt that Mamo's actions contributed to the incident. Irrespective of the reason behind it, he crossed a traffic lane without indicating his manoeuvre, and this resulted in an incident. Magistrate Neville Camilleri found Mamo guilty as charged. The accused was fined €700 and had his driving license suspend- ed for two months. Inspector Yurgen Vella pros- ecuted. Footballer's life-saving cardiologist backs cycling marathon YOU may not have heard about Dr Andrew Deaner, but chances are you have heard of interna- tional player Fabrice Muamba, who collapsed during an F.A Cup game in 2012. Dr Deaner, a lead- ing cardiologist, was one of those who were instrumental in saving Muamba's life, despite him hav- ing been effectively dead for 78 minutes. A routine F.A cup game be- tween top tier English clubs Tot- tenham Hotspurs and Bolton Wanderers became a call to ac- tion for Deaner, who was in the stands watching his favourite North London club. Shortly after the 40th minute, 23 year-old Muamba's sudden col- lapse muted the White Hart Lane stadium. Numerous youtube vid- eos show the spectators aston- ished and speechless at what was happening in front of them. But not Dr Andrew Deaner, who said that during these times when a cardiac arrest occurs, adrenaline automatically pumps in to help a save a life. "I was there as a spectator and from the first instant I knew that something was wrong. I could see straightaway that medics were administering CPR and Parliament should scrutinise people appointed in public positions PAGE 1 Asked about what institu- tional structures could guarantee a more meritocratic appointment, Busuttil said it was time to con- sider some form of constitutional consultation with the Opposition and the parliamentary scrutiny of people appointed to public posi- tions. Busuttil also took Muscat to task for changing laws prevent- ing MPs from serving as political appointees on government com- panies, and of interfering in the course of justice. "Instead of zero-tolerance on corruption, Muscat did not take criminal steps when faced with the clear bribery of public offi- cials," Busuttil said of the hack- ing of Enemalta smart meters. "This is interference in the po- Busuttil accused the Commissioner of Police of being a puppet in the hands of the government

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