In the Press: €10 million in transport subsidies not enough | Police officer, BLM member under investigation

MaltaToday

72 illegal bird callers were noted by CABS volunteers as they monitored parts of the island, the group said yesterday. This number was only a percentage of the true figure, estimated to be in the low hundreds.

24 offenders were apprehended by police up until Sunday 20 April, however none of the bird callers were confiscated. CABS says that the police are either not willing or unable to deal with the cases reported before 5am, when the ALE are on duty.

The Times of Malta

The €10 million in subsidies given to Arriva were not enough, Transport Minister Joe Mizzi said yesterday. Although he did not give an exact figure, Mizzi admitted that the figure would have to go up thanks to the removal of different rates for locals and foreigners and the addition of routes. In the wake of Arriva's departure, two years into its contract, the government is evaluating three prospective operators, who are claiming that at least €30 million in subsidies would be needed to run the transport system.

In-Nazzjon

This newspaper claims that a visit by the PM to a family of constituents in Isla was in fact a visit to a relative's family, a fact which both Muscat and his team hid from the press and in the statement released by the PL. The surname of the family in question was said to be Bartolo, while sources close to the newspaper say that the family was Buhagiar and that the mother is in fact Muscat's cousin.

L-Orizzont

The front page today is occupied by an image of Valletta's Triton Fountain, which has been empty and switched off for a significant period. The fountain has awaited restoration for the past two years. Also on the front page was a report on PM Joseph Muscat's comments on television programme 'Min-Naha l-Ohra', where he said that those who have faced injustice will not be forgotten. He was addressing claims that those who have felt slighted or ignored by the government may abstain from voting in the upcoming MEP elections.

The Malta Independent

Former minister for health Godfrey Farrugia has handed over his tablet to experts to get to the bottom of the mystery of his missing emails. The Malta Information Technology Agency is investigating Farrugia's claims that an email he sent to the media announcing his resignation never made it to the intended recipients.

Another report says that the Police Commissioner has confirmed that both the police officer who allegedly made offensive remarks to a Birdlife member and the BLM member himself are being investigated. The commisioner said that BLM illegally kept shot birds under the pretence that they would be taken to a vet. It is illegal to be in possession of protected birds.