Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/341807
BRAZIL 2014 WORLD CUP RESULTS JURGEN BALZAN FOLLOWING a turbulent week in which the Dalligate affair resurfaced, the main protagonist of the two-year saga, former EU Commissioner John Dalli, has made various charges against the Nationalist Party, Giovanni Kessler and PN leader, Simon Busuttil. The combative Dalli has accused his former party, the PN, and Kessler, direc- tor general of the EU's anti-fraud office OLAF, of being in cahoots, claiming that outgoing European Commission presi- dent José Manuel Barroso, and the previ- ous administration were out to get him. "Simon Busuttil holds up Kessler as a demi-god that can do no wrong. This position solidifies the suspicion that they are in bed together on this," Dalli told MaltaToday. He even opened a front on other news- papers and what his former party, which he dubbed 'GonziPN in its new and old semblance'. "Together with its media, Times of Malta, Malta Independent and Where's Everybody, [they] all have been coordinated to transmit Kessler's mes- sage and to de- mean me in any way they could." xxxxx Newspaper post maltatoday WORLD CUP FEVER IS ONLINE AT MALTATODAY.COM.MT/SPORTS/WORLDCUP2014 MIRIAM DALLI THE government is to implement a major overhaul of the system processing the student maintenance grants after millions were dished out to a private contractor to maintain the smart card system. The student smart card was origi- nally meant to help with costs for ed- ucational material but over the years students have been able to purchase anything – including sportswear, footwear and eyewear. The running of the system has to date cost the country over €2 million – a sum that covers only the handling fee the government pays APCO Ltd, the company which organises the smart card system. It excludes sala- ries and costs related to human re- sources deployed by the government at the University of Malta and other departments to run the system. Asked by MaltaToday to confirm whether any changes to the system were being considered, a spokesper- son for the Education Ministry re- plied in the affirmative. "The government is seriously con- sidering major changes to the smart card system," the spokesperson said. Informed sources however con- firmed that the government wants a simpler system under which main- tenance grants will not be affected. According to the sources, the gov- ernment is looking to save a mini- mum of €178,000 per year in servic- ing costs. Major overhaul of students' smart card system expected CONTINUES PAGE 4 Build now, sanction later... Business as usual on Malta's and Gozo's beaches with MEPA's lax enforcement of abusive beach lidos • PAGE 16-17 Follow MaltaToday.com.mt for our live coverage of the #Dalligate hearing in the European Court of Justice Dalli: Busuttil and Kessler 'in bed together' TOMORROW The Brangelina powerhouse will leave big bucks on the sister island • BACK PAGE QUARTER-FINALS ARGENTINA v BELGIUM 1-0 COSTA RICA v NETHERLANDS 3-4 (Pen) INTERVIEW PG 12-13 • Joe Friggieri CONTINUES PAGE 6 SUNDAY • 6 JULY 2014 • ISSUE 765 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY Gozo's loving Jolie's millions €1.20 July 2014 - Issue 55 www.vida.com.mt Summer at the fairground This summer's hottest pieces Dragons & adventure Komodo Islands, Indonesia Summer at the fairground This summer's hottest pieces Dragons & adventure Komodo Islands, Indonesia SUNDAY • VIDA • FREE WITH MALTATODAY 'With the anti-Semitic monster raising its ugly head again, The Merchant of Venice must show the dangers of all kinds of racial prejudice'