In the Press: Overcrowding in Mater Dei, Gaffarena service station gets three-year clearance

The Times of Malta

The Times reports that the J Gaffarena service station, in the limits of Qormi, has been granted a three-year 'temporary clearance' by MEPA. This will allow it to operate after having been closed down twice for having illegal structures. Asked why it had suddenly changed its mind, Mepa replied that after new provisions were made last August, a permit allowing the operation of parts of the petrol station, incluing the sale of fuel, was granted. The newspaper also reports on the frustrations of court workers as bomb scares continue to disrupt proceedings. A statement by the Association of Judges and Magistrates said that 5 threats were made in the past three months alone and urged authorities to crack down on individuals making such threats. 

In-Nazzjon

This newspaper reports on the promotion of Labour mayor of Marsaxlokk, Edric Micallef, within Transport Malta to the position of Senior Manager of Operations in the Roads division. Another report reveals which ministries had the lowest percentages of women on their public boards - the ministries of the economy and of tourism are made up of 18% and 19% female members, respectively. Only 13% of OPM staff are female.

L-Orizzont

The tragic death of a 15-year old girl yesterday at Dingli Cliffs takes centre stage on L-Orizzont's front page. Following a missing persons announcement by the police yesterday morning, the body of the girl was found at the bottom of Dingli Cliffs while the young man with her suffered serious injuries and was airlifted to hospital. Another front page report reveals how one Pawlu Bonnici, co-founder of the Fishing Cooperative and a fisherman for many decades, disagrees with many objections to the LNG storage and rendering plans. He says that fishermen and their livelihood would not be adversely affected because their work takes place several miles out to sea. He also said that the dredging up of silt by the construction of the Delimara power station was what had done real damage to the area.

The Malta Independent

The Independent follows up on previous reports about overcrowding at Mater Dei. It reports that patients are being kept in the imaging department so as to avoid attention to the fact that so many beds are lining the corridors instead of being in wards. It also reports that secutiry guards have been strategically posted to prevent the true extent of the situation from being known. In a different article, MEP Roberta Metsola defends her choice to vote against granting whistleblower Edward Snowden protection. She did however vote in favour of a report that outlines the impact of surveillance bodies in the EU on citizens' fundemental rights. She said that member states decide whether to prosecute someone and it was not within the competence of the EU to determine whether Snowden should be protected.