Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/955503
YANNICK PACE THREE men – Lorenzo Callus, Paul Farrugia and Jonathan Far- rugia – were yesterday charged in court with the attempted murder of Mario Scicluna and his partner Elaine Galdes using a car bomb that was planted under Scicluna's car in January this year. Before Magistrate Aaron Buge- ja, police inspector Keith Arnaud explained that the men had been arrested following the issuance of an arrest warrant on the basis of investigations into the failed car bomb attempt on Scicluna's car. The defence did not contest the validity of their arrest. A fourth man arrested in the raid carried out on Thursday, Pierre Cachia, was not charged. He was re- leased on po- lice bail. Newspaper post maltatoday today today SUNDAY • 18 MARCH 2018 • ISSUE 958 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY YOUR FIRST READ AND CLICK OF THE DAY WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT LARA DIMITRIJEVIC Francis at five Church leaders speak out on the Roman Pontiff's lustrum PAGES 12-13 He was re- PAGE 2 FREE! FREE! FREE €1.95 One of the accused walks out of the law courts in handcuffs PHOTO JAMES BIANCHI Three charged with Fgura assassination attempt today today SPRING RECIPES FOR EASTER SUNDAY SPRING RECIPES FOR EASTER INDULGENCE www.gourmettoday.recipes ISSUE 50 • March 2018 THE EASTER ISSUE Francis at Church leaders speak Francis at Church leaders speak EASTER SPECIAL Fourth suspect released on police bail was employer of men charged with failed car-bomb PAUL COCKS A total absence of controls at Malta's points of entry might be paving the way for Sicilian contraband, including drugs, as well as inadvertently facili- tating a Sicilian takeover of the lucra- tive freight haulage market between Sicily and Malta. Maltese hauliers – including nu- merous one-man outfits – are up in arms because, they told MaltaToday, Maltese authorities are not doing any- thing to control the influx of Sicilian trucks that reach Malta by ferry. "When we go to Sicily to collect freight to deliver to Malta, as soon as we arrive there, port authorities im- mediately ask us for all kind of docu- mentation," one Maltese haulier said. He explained that he would have to present his driving licence, vehicle insurance, a bill of goods to be col- lected, proof of payment of the goods to be collected, certified insurance for the goods, as well as a signed docu- ment from the company where the goods are to be collected from and certifying, what, when and how much is to be collected. "Failure to present any of the docu- ments could result in me receiving a minimum fine of €2,500 or I could even be banned from driving in Italy for three months," the haulier said. "And yet, nothing of the sort hap- pens on this side, and Sicilian truck- ers are allowed in with no control whatsoever." And therein lies the biggest worry. Sicilian hauliers charge considerably less than their Maltese counterparts, leaving many to wonder how the Sicil- ians could stand to make any profit. One of the accusations is that the lack of controls make it ideal for the transportation of contraband and il- legal substances. "And because they are charging such low prices for haulage to Malta, we are finding it ever more difficult to fill our own trucks," the haulier said. He and others believe that if some controls are introduced in Malta – on par at least with the controls Italian authorities impose on Maltese hauli- ers in Sicily – there would be many less Sicilian truckers coming to Mal- ta, clearing the way to a level playing field, and possibly curbing the impor- tation of drugs and contraband. Hauliers say Sicilians moving in on Maltese business tation of drugs and PAGE 3 Stricter controls on Italian border and rock- bottom prices eating into Maltese haulage business, traders say The women's rights leader putting feminism on the national agenda PAGES 14-15 Abortion: the debate ANALYSIS 10-11 LEADER 27