Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/680790
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 18 MAY 2016 7 News Bonnici stresses 'good behaviour' as part of campaign for deputy leadership MARTINA BORG JUSTICE and Culture Minis- ter Owen Bonnici presented a 20-point plan, highlighting "correct behaviour", as part of his bid to become deputy lead- er of the Labour Party. Speaking at the launch of his campaign, 'Qrib tieghek ', (Close to you) Bonnici said that the proposals being made were a response to the challenges that the party would be facing in the coming months. One of the proposals includes stressing correct behaviour for all members of the Party to be a true example of accountabil- ity. Asked whether the recent Panama Papers revelations, embroiling Energy Minister and former deputy leader of the party Konrad Mizzi and the prime minister's chief of staff Keith Schembri were in line with this frame of mind, Bon- nici admitted that some were disappointed by the decision taken, but he insisted that the PM had showed decisiveness in the issue. "I will work to ensure that more steps will be taken to- wards transparency in the par- ty and in appointments of peo- ple in public positions among others," he said, adding that he would ensure that his actions were always in line with the party ethos. Referring to his fellow nomi- nees for the post, Bonnici said that the competition showed that there were many willing to give a lot to the party. Brushing off suggestions that he had been prevented from running for the election of the post in February this year – when Mizzi was elected – Bon- nici said that he had believed that the latter was the best fit for the party's needs at the time. "However things have turned out now, I truly believe Mizzi has shouldered responsibility," he said, referring to Mizzi 's apology in Parliament. Bonnici insisted that the am- bitious proposals were a labour of love after his long journey with the party. Among the proposals, Bon- nici listed a meeting of local committees and branches, 100 days after the election to in- volve them in the workings of the party, as well as to carry out groundwork with the com- mittees themselves. Bonnici added that he was committed to involving com- mittee members by inviting them to three meetings of the Labour Party administration, at least three times a year. "I also propose to have a spe- cific official for party affairs in Gozo, to further strengthen the voice of the sister island, as well as to create a calendar of activities for the party on a na- tional level, to bring the Party closer to the community." Bonnici said he is commit- ted to ensuring that the party is not judged for its contro- versies but for its ideas to run the country. He further high- lighted that the themes of his campaign were stability, syn- ergy and social justice, themes that were central concerns to Labour Party roots. Among his other proposals, Bonnici lists financing the party better according to the latest party financing laws, as well as strengthening the reach and performance of PL media. He added that he would also ensure contact between the party and the government to ensure better synergy between the two. "I also propose to reform the hands-on customer care sys- tem, to ensure that people are given a reply to their queries after a maximum of 15 days, as well as a new initiative to allow ministers and govern- ment representatives to meet members of the public at the Labour headquarters," he said, adding that he also intended to offer the facility to social and environmental groups who re- quired a place to meet. Bonnici also promised that he would be strengthening the artistic and cultural element of the party, as well as commis- sioning a study to analyse bet- ter wealth distribution, with an aim of increasing social justice in society. "I will also ensure that the PL gives better access to the teaching of music, the arts and other extracurricular activi- ties," he said. He further outlined his pro- posals and said that he wished to bring unions and workers' groups together every two months for discussions, as well as starting a professional sur- vey into precarious jobs and how to fight the phenomenon. Culture minister Owen Bonnici launched his deputy leader campaign on Tuesday Russian boarding school must refund parents €27,000 MATTHEW AGIUS A boarding school for Russian- speaking children and adolescents has been ordered to refund a group of parents €27,000 after it ceased operating and closed its doors last January, leaving its students in the lurch. Russians Elza Kulieva, and Vic- toria Makoeva and Dimitri Perfi- lev from Germany took Boarding School (Malta) Ltd to court after receiving a letter from the RBSM International Boarding School in January, stating that it was going to close and could no longer provide the educational services – which they had paid for, in advance. The parents had subsequently filed a judicial letter in the First Hall of the Civil Court, explaining that in 2014 they had entered into a three-year agreement with the school's director, Evgeni Bodish- tianu. But the school, which caters for both primary and secondary levels of education, had closed its doors in the middle of the scholastic year, just two years into that contract. The parents claimed that they were forced to send their children back to Russia as no other educa- tional institution on the island offered the same curriculum and could accommodate new students halfway through a year. Special summary proceedings were filed against Bodishtianu, who suggested that he could bind himself to make a repayment by the end of December this year. The parents, however, explained that they suspected this to be a time- wasting manoeuvre on the direc- tor's part. The fact that he had con- tinued to accept payments right up to the day before closing the school gave them reason to doubt his in- tegrity, they said, insisting on an immediate refund. The defendant company filed a note of admission in late April. Mr Justice Lawrence Mintoff handed down judgement on 13 May, upholding the request for special summary proceedings and dispensing with the requirement of hearing submissions. He declared the defendant company to be the parents' debtor and ordering it to refund the €26,907 it had received. Motion calls for parliamentary investigation into Schembri's offshore interests CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1 "What I can tell you at this stage is that my role as a member of parliament was different from my role as pres- ident of the Chamber," Farrugia said. He went on to add that the motion had been inadmissible be- cause Schembri was not an elected member of parliament. Busuttil objected, arguing that the motion against Cachia Carua- na had set a precedent. "If you want to request a ruling, please go ahead. All I can say is that, back in 2011, it wasn't my decision to include that motion in the book of m o t i o n s ," the Speak- er said. He added that, follow- ing "profound advice", he came to the con- clusion that Farrugia had to amend her motion for it to be admis- sible. The wording of the motion was left in her hands. Requesting the ruling, Busut- til insisted he was surprised that the House had "suddenly lost the power to discuss a motion against Keith Schembri when it had dis- cussed a motion against Richard Cachia Caruana." Intervening, justice minister Owen Bonnici said Cachia Carua- na's position was one regulated by the Constitution whilst Schembri "is not a public officer". Busuttil however argued that Cachia Caruana was not a career diplomat but had been appointed to the post on a position of trust basis. "Is this parliament going to be- come powerless before individu- als in a position of trust? This is also about the sovereignty of par- liament," the opposition leader insisted, complaining of "legal somersaults". Marlene Farrugia's motion also calls on the Prime Minister to de- mand Schembri's resignation. In her motion, the Zurrieq MP argued that the "allegations" sur- rounding Schembri have undermined the na- tional interest, as well as the trust in govern- ment. The ad hoc com- m i t t e e , as pro- posed by F a r r u g i a , would be s t r u c t u r e d similarly to the public ac- counts commit- tee, with sev- en members and chaired by a member of the opposi- tion. The com- mittee would have two months to call in witnesses, including Schembri, and conclude its find- ings. Schembri was revealed to own a company in the British Virgin Islands – set up in 2011 – and a trust fund in New Zealand and an attached company in Panama. The latter setup was incorporated whilst in office. Schembri, who resigned his di- rectorships in the Kasco group upon his appointment as chief of staff in March 2013, is still a shareholder overseeing the ex- pansion of his business group's activities. In 2011 Labour had successfully presented a motion of censure against the then permanent representative to the EU Richard Cachia Caruana