September: Leo Brincat’s nomination rejected by EP, approved by Council

4 September

The Libyan visas scandal erupted at the end of August, but at the beginning of September, this newsroom revealed that the Libyan national who served as a middleman in the racket claimed to have had his children threatened if he spilled more beans in a televised interviewed he had been scheduled to appear on that same week. Mr Ben Nasan has been at the epicentre of the medical visas scandal since it was recently revealed how he had written to former Health Minister Konrad Mizzi – as well as his successor Chris Fearne – to allege how a member of the Ministry’s staff, Neville Gafa, had skipped off with close to €38,000 in fees that Libyans allege they paid for the issuance of medical visas. The visas from that batch of applicants had not been granted and, as alleged by Mr Ben Nasan, the passports had been returned without the visas or the visa ‘fees’.

5 September

September was a very tense month especially for the government and former Minister for the Environment Leo Brincat. In this particular month, Mr Brincat had to face a grilling by the European Parliament’s Budgetary Control Committee, a test which was somehow overshadowed by his vote of confidence in Minister without portfolio Konrad Mizzi. Leo Brincat only managed to scrape through the grilling. While facing questions, Mr Brincat said that his hands were tied during the vote of no confidence in Konrad Mizzi since the Prime Minister refused to give a free vote to his MPs. Mr Brincat made it through with 11 votes in favour, nine against and one abstention.

5 September

Some hundred Gżira residents turned up on Manoel Island to protest for public access to the popular swimming area. The Gżira Local Council said the foreshore had been inaccessible for the last 16 years without a valid reason at law, resulting in a locality surrounded by sea but with nowhere to swim.

11 September

The Malta Independent

was able to reveal that the PN MEPs were most likely to vote against Brincat’s nomination to sit in the European Court of Auditors, something which was later confirmed by Simon Busuttil. Interestingly, it was revealed by this newspaper that it was Alfred Sant’s vote that had saved Leo Brincat, even though the head of the Labour Party delegation is not an actual member of the Committee. In fact, Dr Sant is not even one of the Committee’s substitutes, but he somehow managed to find himself a seat from which to cast a vote in favour of Mr Brincat, who was one of his former ministers. Ironically, Dr Sant had voiced his opinion that Konrad Mizzi should have resigned following the Panama Papers scandal revelations.

13 September

Leo Brincat’s nomination to sit on the European Court of Auditors was rejected by the European Parliament with 381 votes against, 229 in favour and 58 abstentions. Mr Brincat is the second Maltese nominee to be rejected, after former PL Deputy Leader Toni Abela was rejected at committee stage back in March. Dr Abela had withdrawn his nomination, but Mr Brincat said he would persist with his ECA bid and go before the European Council, which has the final say on the matter.

18 September

The Malta Independent published an article saying that Mr Nasan was willing to produce all evidence he has to a joint committee comprised of Libyan and Maltese authorities. When speaking to this newspaper,

Khaled Ben Nasan issued a challenge to the Maltese authorities to convene such a meeting with their Libyan counterparts so as to set the record straight once and for all.

19 September

In an interview which was published on this newspaper, Dr Ann Fenech, President of the PN Executive Council, revealed that the controversial PN loan scheme would be halted once the €3 million is reached. Some 250 people participated in the scheme with most giving a maximum of €10,000. Two particular individuals gave €30,000 each. According to Dr Fenech, who was approached by Simon Busuttil to help in the party restructuring and to head the Cedoli Loan Scheme, these were the two biggest lenders and added that the party would be ‘reluctant’ to accept larger sums than that. Two days later, Simon Busuttil addressed the crowd which gathered at the Granaries in Floriana for the annual event organised by the Nationalist Party. Resembling a pre-electoral document, Dr Busuttil’s speech focused on a list of proposals but above all, the PN leader pledged honesty.

22 September

A topic which is still being debated until this very day, the Paceville Masterplan was officially launched during a press conference. The plan which steered controversy for months would cost some €300 million.

The same front page reported a tragedy at the Freeport when a 43-year-old man from Żejtun died after a crane he was manoeuvring toppled over and crashed into the sea at the Malta Freeport complex in Birżebbuġa.

29 September

Despite calls for the Prime Minister not to persist with the nomination, Leo Brincat was approved by the EU Competitiveness Council, thus overturning the European Parliament’s rejection. His nomination was unanimously approved by all 28 Member States.

30 September

The month ended on a tragic note as a woman, identified as 41-year-old Caroline Magri, was found dead in her bed at her apartment in Ta’ Giorni, reportedly stabbed to death. The police said they would be investigating the case as homicide. Sources close to the investigation speaking to this newspaper claimed that the victim’s throat had also been slashed in what police on site described as a “macabre” scene inside the apartment.