Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/751614
JURGEN BALZAN MAT THEW VELLA THE Gozitan police officers who were connected to the ar- rest of former Malta interna- tional Daniel Bogdanovic were called on their phones by an As- sistant Commissioner in Malta, enquiring about the reasons for the arrest. MaltaToday has been by at least three sources priv y to the details of the arrest's aftermath, that it was one of the Assistant Com- missioners stationed in Malta, who asked police inspector Edel Mary Camilleri and superinten- dent Antonello Grech as to the circumstances of the Bogda- novic arrest. This newspaper understands that the inquiries brought about a gentle pressure at the Gozo po- lice command as the police in- spector weighed the possibility of giving Bogdanovic an "early" release by placing him on police bail, instead of keeping him in jail so that he could be arraigned before Magistrate Joanna Vella Cuschieri on Monday 1 Novem- ber. So far, MaltaToday editors Sav- iour Balzan and Matthew Vella have not been summoned to tes- tif y in front of the inquiry board headed by former AFM Brigadier Carmel Vassallo. Bogdanovic was arrested on Saturday evening, 30 October, when his wife and her brother – Ghajnsielem footballer Fer- dinando Apap – filed a report over a threatening SMS he sent his wife. When police arrested Bogdanovic, a charge was also filed in connection with his li- censed firearm, ostensibly due to the circumstances in which the firearm was found next to its bullets. MaltaToday understands that inspector Edel Mary Camilleri had already informed duty mag- istrate Joanna Vella Cuschieri that Bogdanovic would be kept in jail until he is arraigned on Monday morning. It was on Sunday that an As- sistant Commissioner contacted both the inspector and superin- tendent asking about details of the arrest. WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT WEDNESDAY EDITION €1.00 Newspaper post PG 9 • Editorial WEDNESDAY • 16 NOVEMBER 2016 • ISSUE 496 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY 33 migrants rounded up as government plans deportation MIRIAM DALLI YANNICK PACE THIRTY-THREE migrants who were given an appointment on Monday morning to renew their documents at the police head- quarters received the shock of their lives when they were round- ed up, detained and taken to the Safi detention centre as the gov- ernment prepares to deport them. MaltaToday is informed that immigration police arrested the group, which included men and women who have been living in Malta for a decade and who were fulfilling all obligations. Human rights lawyer Neil Fal- zon, who yesterday afternoon visited the failed asylum seekers at the detention centre, said Adi- tus will be meeting with officials from the Ministry for Home Af- fairs to discuss how people who have set up roots in Malta should be treated. The surprise detention of the group of people sparked fears amongst the migrant community in Malta, as it follows the suspen- sion of the temporary humanitar- ian protection. Questions sent by MaltaTo- day on THPn and the arrest of the people have remained unan- swered. The government yesterday par- tially broke an 18-hour silence on the arrests, confirming that immigration police detained 33 foreigners who had been living in Malta for a number of years "ir- regularly". The ministry said that following the necessary verifications that were carried out by the Refugee Commissioner, one person was found to be benefitting from tem- porary humanitarian protection and was released. PAGE 5 Assistant Commissioner called Gozo police about Bogdanovic before bail Detained migrants being led inside the Safi detention centre yesterday afternoon PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES BIANCHI Bogdanovic coaches minister's son at Xewkija nursery Gozo minister Anton Refalo has insistently denied knowing Daniel Bogdanovic, however the former malta international coached the minister's son at the Xewkija Tigers football nursery. In an interview with Sunday newspaper Illum, Refalo denied knowing or meeting Bogdanovic, who was released from arrest after a police official requested he be allowed to play a football match. "I deny calling the police, I do not even know this Bogdanovic and I have never spoken to him in my life," Refalo said. However, MaltaToday understands that Bogdanovic coaches Refalo's son in Xewkija's Under-15 side. Refalo, had lent his support to the club as a bank guarantor for the acquisition of the Xewkija Tigers football club premises. PAGE 4 Daniel Bogdanovic holding Xewkija Tigers' shirt