Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/810144
2 maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 12 APRIL 2017 News CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 In the re- form announced yesterday, this will no longer be necessary, be- cause it grants stability to work- ers employed on a definite con- tract. The conversion to indefinite contracts of employment does not apply to persons employed on a person-of-trust basis with pri- vate secretariats and ministries. Cutajar said that various direc- tives inside the civil service had been reviewed and updated over the past four years, with the crea- tion of the People & Standards Division, which supplanted the Public Administration Human Resources Organisation (PAH- RO), fusing together human re- sources management and service quality standards. The IDEA initiative had also welcomed some 500 suggestions over the past three years from civil service employees, and a new Institute for Public Ser- vices was created together with MCAST and the University of Malta, which allowed for more investment in employees' skills. A new collective agreement for the public service is expected to be finalised, as the 2012 agree- ment came to an end in Decem- ber 2016. Since then, employees in teleworking arrangements have almost doubled. PHOTOGRAPHY BY: JAMES BIANCHI Birkirkara stabbing victim shouted alleged aggressor's nickname moments before he died A young man who died after be- ing stabbed shouted his alleged aggressor's nickname three times before collapsing to the ground, the court was told yesterday. Roderick Grech, 26, died two days after the stabbing incident two weeks ago and Etienne Bar- tolo, 36 of Birkirkara, stands ac- cused of the murder. Bartolo is also known as 'il- Vojt'. Jean Pierre Pace, who on the night of the stabbing was return- ing home, recounted how he saw a young man staggering down Tu- mas Fenech Street in Birkirkara before collapsing to the ground. Pace, who recognised the vic- tim, said he rushed to the young man's aid whilst Grech pleaded to him to call an ambulance. Grech repeatedly pronounced the word "vojt", although it meant little to Pace at the time. The vic- tim also told him that he loved his mother and father. Pace said that he held Grech in his arms and kissed his forehead as they waited for an ambulance. A second witness, Kristo San- jic, said he was on his way home when he saw a person on the ground and another one helping him. At first he thought that one of them was drunk, but then he saw the blood. Police officer Moira Cortis was in the area when she heard the loud screeching of brakes and a car horn; she saw a man clutching his stomach and shouting "Ge- jtu!" The man – Grech – disap- peared into a block of apartments only to remerge a few minutes later. The police spoke to Gejtu – Gejtu Bonnici – who lives in the block of apartments Grech was seen entering into. He said that he woke up to the police knock- ing on his door and saw that blook was splattered on his front door and the stairway. Inspector Kurt Zahra pros- ecuted. Lawyer Edward Gatt is defence counsel. Lawyers Franco Debono, Angie Muscat and Yani- ca Vidal appeared parte civile. The case continues. Etienne Bartolo is pleading not guilty to the wilful homicide of Roderick Grech A court ordered a man, who permanently disfigured anoth- er man after smashing a glass in his face, to pay the victim €2,500 by way of damages and to perform community service, after the aggressor pleaded guilty to the charges brought against him. Paul Borg, 38, from Santa Lu- cija, had admitted to having grievously injured the victim, a fellow resident, in the course of an argument which erupted outside the Santa Lucija Bocci Club in the early afternoon of 27 May 2006. The court, presided by mag- istrate Marse-Ann Farrugia, acting upon a recommendation by a social worker, had ordered a pre-sentencing report of the accused after being informed of the man's drug and alcohol problem. The court noted that Borg had already been handed a six- month sentence suspended for two years for a similar case. In total, Borg had incurred seven convictions. However, it was also noted that the victim, in spite of hav- ing suffered a permanent dis- figurement, did not want to press charges but wished his aggressor to be offered all nec- essary treatment so as to over- come his problems. The court observed that Borg had, since the aggression, set- tled down with his partner, even taking upon himself all the responsibilities of father- hood. In such circumstances, the court deemed it inappro- priate to apply an effective jail term and risk undoing all the progress made by the accused. In her ruling, finding Borg guilty, magistrate Farrugia said that it was more appropriate for the accused to compensate for his behaviour by perform- ing 100 hours of community work and be placed under a three-year probation order to ensure that he continued to re- main on track. The court also ordered him to pay €2,500 to the victim. Inspector Jurgen Vella pros- ecuted. Thursday TVM 20:50 Man sentenced to community service 11 years after committing assault Indefinite contracts not applicable to political appointees