Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/958047
maltatoday SUNDAY 25 MARCH 2018 News 7 IRRESTAWRA DAREK The Planning Authority has relaunched the 'Irrestawra Darek' scheme for a second term. This scheme allocates €10 million in funds, to assist in the regeneration of our village core areas whilst also promoting investment in the restoration, conservation and maintenance of Malta and Gozo's built heritage. The scheme is open for privately owned residential properties located within Urban Conservation Areas and scheduled Grade 1 or 2 residential buildings. There are specific funds allocated for voluntary organisations, the elderly who are over 65 and people with special needs. Terms and conditions apply. For more information go to www.pa.org.mt or call on +356 2290 1551/1555. PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY FOR PLANNING AND THE PROPERTY MARKET observation wheels. "I saw the success observation wheels have throughout ma- jor cities across Europe and World Heritage sights and I've always dreamt of Malta hosting its own. I have visit- ed many of them throughout the year, so I asked, 'Why not Malta?'" The wheel does not need any foundation works and can be installed in just 10 working days. When asked why this par- ticular location was chosen Mangion claims that he has have been studying and get- ting expert advice since 2008 to find a suitable location in Malta. "The proposed area ticks all the boxes for a suc- cessful and iconic attraction, respecting the surroundings, residents, heritage and sky- line." Mangion hopes he will be able to install his Ferris wheel this year while Val- letta enjoys the status of Eu- ropean Capital of Culture. He dismissed any fears on the visual impact on Val- letta, arguing that similar wheels are found in several leading world heritage loca- tions, including UNESCO sites. "The wheel will pro- duce a lot of smiles, excite- ment and positive marketing for our island, whilst re- specting the skyline." In London, the iconic Fer- ris wheel on the Thames river attracts large scores of tourists, with the hashtag #londoneye yielding more than 595,000 hits on Ins- tagram. "Most wheels also offer romantic packages including champagne and chocolates and are popular sites for marriage propos- als," Mangion added. A history of the Ferris Wheel The original Ferris Wheel was designed and constructed as a landmark for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. With a height of 80.4 metres it was the tallest attraction at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois, where it opened to the public on June 21, 1893. It was intended to rival the 324-metre Eiffel Tower, the centerpiece of the 1889 Paris Exposition. The current tallest wheel is the 167.6-metre (550 ft) High Roller in Las Vegas, US, which opened to the public in March 2014. MATTHEW VELLA LIBYA'S head of investigations in the Attorney General's office has said fuel smuggling is being car- ried out by a network of organised crime linking Europe to Libya. Saddik Al-Sour reiterated claims he had already made that Libya's oil was being smuggled from the Zawia oil refinery where Libya's fuel is stored, and then through Zuwara, Sabratha and Zawia ports. Al-Sour said the fuel was be- ing smuggled in connivance with Libyan port authorities and those in control of Zawia oil refinery. "It is smuggled through small fishing vessels to larger carriers further out at sea; and secondly through flexible pipes from fuel trucks on- shore to small vessels and thereon to larger vessels further out at sea," Al-Sour told the Libyan press. "Local militias guard the smug- glers' fuel trucks in return for any- thing from 5,000 to 10,000 dinars per truck. These militias are linked to groups in Malta, Italy, Greece, Lebanon and Turkey." Al-Sour described the smuggling as systematic, organised criminal activity by Libyan and international criminal smuggling networks of both individuals and companies. He also accused board members of the main fuel distribution com- panies of being implicated in fuel smuggling and that 60 arrest war- rants and travel bans had been is- sued against them. He also identified the most pow- erful smugglers as Fahmi Slim Mousa Ben Khalifa, who was ar- rested in 2017 shortly before co- conspirator Darren Debono, the former Malta footballer, was ar- rested on fuel smuggling charges; and his brother Hafed Slim, also known as Al-Idrisi. "They controlled the fishing port of Zuwara since 2012. They are behind fuel smuggling operations, explained Al-Sour, using fishing vessels to Malta, then on to Italy, Turkey, Spain and Greece." Al-Sour accused Maltese smug- gling gangs of carrying out smug- gling operations twice a month from Libya, in what is costing the strife-torn country €300,000 for each ton of fuel that is smuggled out. "Smuggling gangs made profits of about one billion Libyan dinars over the last three years," Al-Sour said, saying oil smuggling was the main factor in the economic dif- ficulties suffered by Libyans in the last few years. He also said that after 2011 pet- rol stations across the country in- creased by 55% to 415, but inves- tigations have shown that these 'ghost' outlets exist only on pa- per and purely for the purpose of smuggling. Libyan investigator points finger at Maltese fuel smugglers Saddik Al-Sour