These are the main news items reported in June

2 June

The Malaysian company that was building the Delimara LNG tanker, Bumi Armada, confirmed that the vessel would not be delivered until the third quarter of the year, marking another missed deadline.

Two men escaped from Mount Carmel Hospital, prompting an investigation. One of them was returned after a few hours but the second, Briton Tom Stewart, remains missing to this very day.

 

5 June

The Malta Independent on Sunday revealed that the police force is not investigating the Panama Papers scandal, in which a minister and the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff were implicated, along with several other Maltese businessmen.

In another power station-related development, SOCAR said the plant would be commissioned “by year’s end.”

PN Leader Simon Busuttil suggested selling Air Malta shares to the public for the first time.

8 June

A Green MEP claimed serious conflict of interest by MFSA Chairman Joe Bannister in view of reports of the latter’s “directorships in several collective investment schemes in the Cayman Islands.”

The PN proposed a two-thirds parliamentary majority for development in Outside Development Zone.

 

11 June

Chris Cardona was elected PL Deputy Leader for Party Affairs, beating Owen Bonnici. Cardona obtained 53.4% of the vote, against Bonnici’s 46.6%. None of the candidates had reached the required quota in the first round.

The Malta Independent on Sunday reveals a second hand cars mileage scam. Second hand car importers were tampering with the car odometers for financial gain and to the detriment of their customers.

In another shocking case of animal cruelty, a bulldog that had been left tied to a doorway in Hamrun for hours died a few minutes after it was picked up by an animal ambulance.

12 June

A Bulgarian national, 52-year-old Ivan Zlatev Manoloc, was taken to court after he was heard saying shortly before boarding a plane at MIA “no one is going to survive.” He pleaded not guilty to threatening passengers and denied having uttered the words. But a court heard how he had already admitted to the ‘joke’ with the police.

13 June

British billionaire Paul Bailey and 12 members of the Paqpaqli organizing committee, including TV presenter Tonio Darmanin, were charged in connection with the October 2015 incident. They pleaded not guilty to having involuntarily injured a number of people and damaged a number of vehicles.

Libyan Nizar Al Gadi, who is serving a life sentence for killing his estranged wife, got another three months for threatening a police inspector and the mother of the victim. He had been found guilty of murdering Margaret Mifsud, the mother of his child, in a trial by jury in November 2015. The man made his threats as he was being escorted to jail shortly after his sentence was handed down.

A court ruled in the PN’s favour in the first of 91 ‘right to vote’ cases the party filed against the electoral commission. The PN claimed 91 people had been given the right to vote despite not having met the necessary requirements, especially on residency.

14 June

The Nationalist Mayor of Victoria, Samuel Azzopardi, was found guilty of driving under the influence and refusing to give a breath sample. He was fined €2,000. The PN Mayor had been involved in a car crash in April – the other driver was found guilty of the same and also fined. Mr Azzopardi had suspended himself from the PN for the duration of the case. After his conviction the PN lifted his suspension, noting how the court had said that the incident should not hinder his political work.

 

15 June

The Nationalist Opposition staged the first of several walkouts as minister Konrad Mizzi rose to speak in Parliament. The PN has insisted it does not recognize the minister’s legitimacy ever since he was implicated in the Panama Papers scandal.

17 June

A car was left dangling over the edge of a Gozo Channel ferry ramp after the vessel moved during embarkation. At least three other vehicles were involved in the 7.30am incident, which happened at the Cirkewwa terminal.

19 June

A 76-year-old Briton died after he was hit by a boat propeller in Hondoq ir-Rummien. The boat was manned by a 19-year-old man from Nadur.

 

20 June

Alfred Mifsud, then touted to become the next Governor of the Central bank, admitted having met with well-known businessman Ronnie Demajo, but denied it was for “for any wrongdoing.” Allegations surfaced against Mr Mifsud in Daphne Caruana Galizia’s blog, when she quoted Mr Mifsud’s former partner, Anna Zelbst, saying that Mr Demajo had come to their home between 1996 and 1998 at least three times, to pay Mr Mifsud Lm50,000 in cash each time.

The following day the Office of the Prime Minister confirmed that Mr Mifsud had asked not to be considered for the CMB role.

 

28 June

Thousands attended the 10th edition of Isle of MTV on the Floriana Granaries. The concert featured the British singer/songwriter and Grammy award winner Jess Glynne, multi-platinum selling rapper Wiz Khalifa, the UK ground breaking electronic group Clean Bandit and electro-house, superstar DJ Steve Aoki.  Wiz Khalifa was in the middle of a controversy for openly boasting about smoking cannabis while in Malta. The authorities took no action against him, despite the pictures he had uploaded on the social media. On the other hand 11 people were arrested for smoking a joint at the concert.

 

28 June

Former Labour Party President Mario Vella was named as the new governor of the Central Bank of Malta, replacing Professor Josef Bonnici. He relinquished the post of executive chairman at Malta Enterprise to take over the new role. The PN immediately labelled the appointment as partisan and said such appointments should be made with a two-thirds parliamentary majority.