Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/340052
Newspaper post WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT WEDNESDAY EDITION WEDNESDAY • 2 JULY 2014 • ISSUE 371 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY Editorial - PAGE 9 €0.90 Zero bids, high hopes for Gozo casino MIRIAM DALLI GOZO Minister Anton Refalo has not given up on seeing a casino on the sister island even though no propos- als by private companies have been made. "The fact that no proposals were submitted doesn't mean anything," a stoic Refalo told MaltaToday. "The government will continue exploring what's best for Gozo." Last year the government called for expressions of interest in the running of a casino in Gozo. Then parliamen- tary secretary for competitiveness Edward Zammit Lewis had said four companies collected documents. But according to Refalo, despite the collection of documents, no propos- als have been submitted. Earlier this year, state television TVM reported there was only one case of interest shown in the Gozo casino licence but it failed to meet the expectations of authorities. In other sections of the media it was reported that San Lawrenz Kempin- ski Hotel was the only applicant for a licence. MaltaToday yesterday asked the minister what the government's plans were, since its expectations were not realised. Refalo said the government's plan was to seek an economic identity for the sister island and work on those factors that made sense for Gozo. "I think that the opening of a ca- sino, but a casino that makes sense for Gozo, is important. It will help to turn the island's economy and open up the island. The fact that no pro- posals were made doesn't mean any- thing. The government will continue looking for what's best for Gozo," he said. 'Austin Gatt lied about me' Joe Falzon, the former chairman of the fuel procurement advisory committee, tells MPs in the Public Accounts Committee of his fractious relationship with former energy minister • page 5 DANIEL MIZZI A magistrate remarked yesterday that in Malta is dominated by an archaic system of laws which ben- efit the Attorney General. Magistrate Francesco Depas- quale made the comment in a case in which the Attorney General re- peatedly failed to consent to court proceedings, with the magistrate saying that a case which could have been decided in a few months ended up taking over a year, due to the "archaic system of laws ben- efitting the AG". The case saw 36-year-old Oswal Francis Natalin Bennetti stand charged with causing grievous bodily harm to his partner, Chris- tina Joyce, and her 12-year-old daughter, of disturbing good order and public peace, and of threaten- ing the girl. The case occurred on December 1, 2012, when the accused got into an altercation with his partner and her daughter. The court was told that the girl punched the accused and, acting in self defence, Ben- netti lifted his hand to block her punches, accidentally injuring the girl in doing so. The row saw the police intervene and, notwithstanding Joyce's plea not to press charges against her partner, going on to charge the ac- cused. Prior to deciding on a case, the court must first receive the con- sent of the Attorney General. But in what is normally straight- forward, this consent was never forthcoming for at least a year. Instead, despite the court having heard all witnesses, the Attorney General asked the court to hear the evidence again. This eventu- ally saw the court express "serious concerns at the unnecessary de- lay" – to which the AG responded by reporting the court to the Com- mission for the Administration of Justice. Subsequently, the court had to bow to the Attorney General's re- quest and reheard its witnesses on 9 January 2014 – 16 months after the charges were brought against the accused. In the decree announced yes- terday, Magistrate Depasquale acquitted 36-year-old Oswal Ben- netti of all charges, ruling that the accused had acted in self-defence. Law yer Joe Brincat was defence counsel. Magistrate hits out at Attorney General over unnecessary delays Anton Refalo Francesco Depasquale