In the Press: Alitalia to buy 49% of Air Malta stakes

Headlines across newspapers revolve around a memorandum of understanding signed between Alitalia, an Italian airline which itself is half owned by UAE based Etihad Airways, and the government. Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis, who signed the agreement himself along with the concerned unions at the Auberge de Castille, says this deal would herald a turn-around for the Maltese carrier. He also confirmed that no Air Malta employees should lose their jobs, but rather they expect an improvement in their quality of work.

Times of Malta

Energy minister Korad Mizzi filed libel proceedings against Times of Malta for an Article reported on 5th April which claimed that a shareholder in Mizzi’s Panama company was linked to a number of shell companies involved in major corruption scandals. Mizzi claimed that the article presented the facts as having been proved to be divulged by himself.

L-Orizzont

Nemea Bank, the director of which is ex-Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, is on the verge if bankruptcy due to its financial situation. The Eurpean Central bank revealed that the Nemea had a number of issues on conducting inspections on its Portomaso offices.

In-Nazzjon

Lawrence Cutajar was yesterday appointed the new agent commissioner of the police force, in the wake of Michael Cassar’s resignation due to health reasons. Lawrence Cutajar was one of six assistant commissioners appointed in February 2014.

The Malta Independent

Speaker of the House of Representatives Anglu Farrugia confirmed that he has no authority to investigate the declarations of assets presented by members of parliament. MPs and parliamentary secretaries are obligated to release annual declarations of their assets at the time established by the speaker. The deadline this year is 30th April.