Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/644193
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 24 FEBRUARY 2016 5 News Registry of Companies Notice to company directors The Registry of Companies has launched a new service on its online system whereby company directors are informed when the company annual accounts and returns become due by means of automated reminders/notifications which are transmitted electronically to one or more e-mail addresses provided by the company to the Registry of Companies. Company directors who do not provide an e-mail address to the Registry of Companies will not be able to benefit from any reminders issued. Directors may also make arrangements with other persons, such as the company secretary, their company service providers, accountants or lawyers so as to receive the reminders on their e-mail. If you are a director of a company and have not provided an e-mail address to the Registry of Companies for the purpose of receiving notifications please do so immediately by sending an e-mail message to systemsupport@rocmalta.com.mt. Ombudsman complains to Speaker: attacks are 'unfair and unjust' MATTHEW VELLA THE Ombudsman has made his displeasure clear at allegations in the press which he claims are based on political partisanship and personal revenge, that are undermining the d e m o - c r a t i c process of the country. T h e O m - b u d s - m a n ' s c o m - p l a i n t , made to the Speaker in a let- ter he sent on 15 Feb- ruary, was published to- gether with a statement on questions he was sent by General Work- ers Union news- paper l-Orizzont, with respect to his communica- tions officer Jur- gen Cassar. "I have full trust in the loyalty, com- petence, integrity and dedication of our commissioners, officials and employees in the Ombudsman's office," Joseph Said Pullicino told Speaker Anglu Farrugia. "I assure the House that, faith- ful to my oath of office, I always carried out my duties to the best of my capabilities with the high- est level of independence and impartiality," the former chief justice said. Said Pullicino also decried a negative campaign by l-Oriz- zont, which asked his office whether communications of- ficer Jurgen Cassar had been employed on a 'person of trust' basis, suggesting that the direct place- ment of Cassar would under- mine his own-initiative inquiry into persons of trust jobs with the government. The newspaper has published CCTV footage allegedly show- ing Cassar snapping a mobile phone photo of a man outside the ministry of foreign affairs, which photo was later uploaded on the website of Daphne Caru- ana Galizia. "Nobody in these last 10 years was employed in the office of t h e Ombudsman on a po- sition of trust, and every engagement was carried out in conformity with the Constitution, openly, competi- tively and trans- parently." Said Pullicino, who described the attacks as "unfair and unjust" said the Ombuds- man was em- powered to employ the people nec- essary for the func- tions of the office, and that the Office of the Prime M i n i s t e r had in- f o r m e d the Em- p l o y - m e n t a n d Training Cor- poration in 2006 that the of- fice was an independent insti- tution. "Every vacancy, whatever grade it is, is advertised in the local press and applicants are subjected to the scrutiny of a se- lection board that recommends the best candidates for employ- ment." The Ombudsman is finalising a study into the employment of people in so-called positions of trust with the government, which under Labour total some 450. in the press which he claims are based on political partisanship and personal revenge, that are undermining the O m - b u d s - m a n ' s c o m - p l a i n t , made to the Speaker in a let- ter he sent on 15 Feb- ruary, was published to- gether with a statement on questions he was sent by General Work- ers Union news- paper l-Orizzont, with respect to his communica- tions officer Jur- gen Cassar. "I have full trust in the loyalty, com- petence, integrity and dedication of basis, suggesting that the direct place- sition of trust, and every engagement was carried out in conformity with the Constitution, openly, competi- tively and trans- parently." Said Pullicino, who described the attacks as "unfair and unjust" said the Ombuds- man was em- powered to employ the people nec- essary for the func- tions of the office, and that the Office of the Prime M i n i s t e r had in- f o r m e d the Em- p l o y - m e n t a n d Training Cor- poration in 2006 that the of- fice was an independent insti- tution. "Every vacancy, whatever The Ombudsman protested that the report published by l-Orizzont was based on political partisanship Labour MP wants 'newspaper investigated' over Gaffarena report Joe Sammut Labour MP Joseph Sammut asks Speaker Anglu Farrugia to investigate 'unfair' newspaper report MIRIAM DALLI LABOUR MP Joseph Sammut has requested Speaker Anglu Farrugia "to investigate" a report by the Times of Malta which re- vealed that Sammut had been indicated by Mark Gaffarena's defence counsel as a possible wit- ness in a court case. On Saturday, the Times said that Sammut was indicated as one of the witnesses called by Gaffarena to testify in his de- fence in the court case following the Valletta property expropria- tion scandal. Addressing the adjournment in parliament, Sammut argued that the report was "unfair" and a clarification was "required". According to the newspaper, Sammut was listed as a witness "to testify on the contents of a letter he sent to the Lands De- partment" in the name of Gaf- farena and his wife. It goes on to add that the letter was not mentioned in the Auditor Gen- eral's report on the deal and that it could be one of the documents missing from the Lands Depart- ment file on the deal. The Times added that the let- ter, allegedly sent by Sammut, asked for the property in Old Mint Street to be expropriated. It also said that, since the letter could not be traced, the informa- tion could not be verified. However, the Labour MP – who confirmed writing to the depart- ment in his capacity as Gaffa- rena's lawyer – insisted that the newspaper report was "incor- rect". He also said that the letter had been mentioned in the report of the Auditor General. Thus, he added, the Speaker should launch an inquiry – or even ask for a police investigation – to de- termine how a letter that formed part of an inquiry had now gone missing. Sammut went on to hit out at the author of the report as "an amateur who should find a job elsewhere". "If Gaffarena is asking me to appear in court it's not to de- fend one side or another but to testify on the contents of the letter which I sent to the Lands Department," he said, tabling the letter in question in parliament. "The more pertinent question is, if the letter is indeed missing, how did the Times come to know of it? The letter is mentioned in the report, so even this part is incorrect. But if so, who has the letter? How can they refer to it if it's missing?" In the letter dated 28 July, 2014, Sammut writes to the Lands De- partment on behalf of Gaffarena, expressing his client's interest in swapping his share of the Old Mint Street property with lands in Handaq, Hal Mula and Mrie- hel. "The letter asks the director whether he is ready to consider Gaffarena's request and, if the reply is in the positive, to initiate the necessary procedures to that the exchange can take place," Sammut said. The backbencher went on to ask what "motivated the newspaper to misguide its readers or who wanted to misguide the readers". He also took exception at the article's headline, which referred to him as a Labour MP: "If I'm working in my capacity as a law- yer, and I did not sign the letter as MP, why refer to me as an MP? It's true that I represent the La- bour Party in parliament but I am also a lawyer." He went on to add that, if no distinction will be made between the profession and the political life, any lawyers aspiring to be- come politicians "should pack up and leave now".