Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/987872
WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT WEDNESDAY EDITION €1.00 Newspaper post EDITORIAL • PAGE 9 WEDNESDAY • 30 MAY 2018 • ISSUE 589 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY ANALYSIS Why a referendum on IVF would be a big gamble Prison authorities' 'disgusting' treatment of seven transgender inmates PAGE 6 PAGE 3 TIA RELJIC TRANSPORT Malta chairman and CEO James Piscopo is being touted for the position of Lands Authority CEO, as Planning Authority boss Jo- hann Buttigieg is expected to remain in his post, MaltaToday has learned. Piscopo, a close friend of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and one of the political strategists of the Labour Party, was pushed by Muscat himself and Transport Minister Ian Borg to take the post, sources have revealed. The Lands Authority is considered one of the most difficult entities to reform and it is hoped Piscopo will be able to catalyse the needed reforms. Until last week, Buttigieg was being mentioned as the frontrunner for the top job at the Lands Au- thority despite his posi- tion at the PA. Speaking in Parliament on Monday, Borg categori- cally denied that Buttigieg would be leaving his post as PA chairman, though his ministry had previously neither confirmed nor denied that Buttigieg would also be taking over the Lands Authority. A spokesperson for the ministry did, however, confirm that a public call for applications for the post of Lands Authority CEO would be is- sued "in the imminent future", following the resignation of Carlo Mifsud after a mere 16 months in the post. Piscopo, a former Air Malta employee who was later recruited by Muscat as the Labour Party's CEO, was ap- pointed chairman and CEO of Transport Malta soon after Labour's electoral victory in 2013 with a financial package of over €85,000. In that role, he oversaw and deliv- ered important projects including the Kappara Project and the Coast Road. Muscat's man, Piscopo, to take over Lands Authority Johann Buttigieg James Piscopo MATTHEW AGIUS A court is to decree on a request for bail made for three individuals who were charged over Facebook posts in which they appeared to be cheer- ing on a man who ran over and nearly killed a police officer. Kylie Cutajar, 21, from Sta Venera, Ritmark Borg, 28, from Paola and Josef D'Amato, 24 from Marsa all pleaded not guilty to the charges of publicly inciting persons to commit a crime, and misuse of electronic com- munications equipment when they left Facebook comments underneath news articles about PC Simon Schem- bri. The traffic police officer was left fighting for his life and had a limb amputated after a young motorist ran him over on 15 May. Facebook trio still in custody, awaiting decision on bail The three youths were last week denied bail by magistrate Joe Mifsud who said he wanted to send a clear signal to society that the Maltese police force should have as much protection as possible, and no one had the right to mock the police PAGE 7 PC Simon Schembri