TOKYO (JAPAN) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – During the G7 meeting in Tokyo, a cordial meeting was held between Minister Nordio and EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders. Minister Nordio reiterated that “the Italian penal code provides a whole section to crimes against the Public Administration and in this context, the abuse of office represents a superfluous case, with the function of closing the system, applicable only where a different and more cannot be configured serious crime”.
Minister Nordio recalled that “the list of crimes referred to – equivalent to 18 cases – outlines a system capable to inflict effectively any bad conduct of the well-protected. Therefore, even after the revocation of Article 323 of the penal code, the conduct falls within the scope of the current abuse of office and is far from being devoid of any form of state intervention, thus it will be more correctly taken in the context of the judicial review on the administrative action by the administrative judge.
“It is a question, in other words, of proposing in the correct terms the relationship between administrative irregularity/illegality of the act and illicitness of the conduct, according to a full dimension compatible with the proposed EU Directive referred to above (Articles 10 and 11)”, explains the ministry. Nordio found “the keen attention of the Commissioner Reynders” to whom he also provided a series of statistics relating to the outcome of proceedings for abuse of office: “in particular, in the last year (2021), out of a total of 5,292 definite proceedings, only 9 convictions were registered, thereby underlining the reduced effectiveness of the results achieved and their absolute disproportion with respect to necessary resources (human and economic) to carry out these proceedings, as a rule, it is particularly complex, and moreover in a constitutional system characterized by the mandatory exercise of the prosecution”, underlines the ministry.
“The legislative initiative that the Government is preparing to publish, therefore, would also have the effect of reducing the workload on proxies, with a clear, overall improvement on the duration of criminal proceedings, which is one of the priority objectives that the European Commission itself expects from Italy”, concludes the ministry.

– photo press office Minister of Justice –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

TUNIS (TUNISIA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Italy and the International Organization for Migration signed an agreement on diaspora engagement in the implementation of phase 2 of the Mobi-TRE project/”Migration as a resource for the mobilization of the Tunisian diaspora and the stabilization of disadvantaged communities in Tunisia”, funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation(AICS). The agreement was signed, at the residence of the Italian Ambassador in Tunis.

The new agreement is based on the successes and lessons learned during the first stage of the project which will continue to provide the Tunisian diaspora with the most appropriate tools to contribute to the development of their country of origin, stimulate investment and entrepreneurship among the young people and women from the most vulnerable regions and with high rates of migratory mobility, and create sustainable decent jobs for all.

The signing of the agreement with the IOM “is further testimony of the global approach promoted by the Italian Government for its strategic planning in the field of human mobility. With this new contribution of 2 million euros, we reiterate our commitment to invest in human capital as an invaluable source for the development of the country,” said the Italian ambassador, Fabrizio Saggio.

The Head of the AICS office in Tunis, Andrea Senatori said “Mobi-TRE is one of the most innovative projects we finance, because, for the first time, it involves the Tunisian diaspora in new investments in their country of origin, encouraging their active participation in development actions, away from traditional models. The diaspora, by its nature, is firmly linked to the territory of origin and destination, but can be both a cultural bridge and a lever for economic development”.

Under the first phase of Mobi-TRE, 56 business projects in 14 governorates have enabled the creation and consolidation of 367 jobs, of which 151 with regular employment contracts, particularly for young people between 18 and 30 years old (60%), 76% of which are women.

Azzouz SAMRI, Head of the IOM mission in Tunisia stressed “IOM Tunisia is delighted with the success of the first phase of Mobi-TRE in partnership with the AICS, and looks forward to the renewal of the second phase which aims to consolidate the results obtained in strengthening the engagement of the diaspora and its contribution to the development of Tunisia”.

To create greater ties between the country of origin and target those through a transnational development perspective, phase 2 of Mobi-TRE will extend its action to Tunisians residing abroad in Germany, Saudi Arabia, Ivory Coast, France, and Italy. This is based on several criteria, particularly in France, Italy, and Germany, on economic cooperation and historical migratory relations with the Ivory Coast, and financial aid from Saudi Arabia. An innovative aspect of this second phase will be the technical support provided to companies, which will enable them to enter new markets and sell their products online. Finally, even more than in the first phase, priority will be given to women and young people, vulnerable groups, and business projects based on a social and solidarity economy capable of creating direct and indirect employment, as well as a sustainable environment.

– photo press office Agenzia Italiana per la Cooperazione allo Sviluppo (AICS) –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Maltese President George Vella stated that Malta considers Greece one of its closest partners within the Euro-Mediterranean region, sharing similar purposes and concerns. During official talks in Athens with the Greek President Katerina N. Sakellaropoulou, both agreed on the excellent relations between both countries based on shared values
During the official talks, Vella and Sakellaropoulou recognized the increased cooperation between both countries especially in trade, tourism, maritime affairs, technology, and culture.
Both Presidents agreed on the necessity of a European Union solution for the problem of migration in the Mediterranean, described as a “priority” for Malta and Greece.
The developments in North Africa and the escalation of violence in the Middle East were also discussed. Both Presidents also focused on the Russian war in Ukraine and its consequences for the energy and economic sectors in particular.
Vella and Sakellaropoulou agreed that multilateralism is ever more necessary and referred to Maltàs seat on the UNSC and Greecès bid for the term 2025-2026.
The Maltese President also met with the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. On behalf of the government and the people of Malta, the President conveyed his best wishes to the newly elected government and the people of the Hellenic Republic.

– photo Department of Information Malta –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (ITALPRESS/MNA) – A total of 12 individuals died by suicide in the first five months of 2023. The information was tabled in Parliament by deputy prime minister and health minister Chris Fearne. The number is slightly higher than the average of two suicide deaths per month, which was retained for the past 11 years, according to statistics by the Commissioner for the Rights of Persons with Mental Disorders. The Office of the Commissioner had issued a statement last September on World Suicide Prevention Day saying that each suicide death is potentially preventable. The Office of the Commissioner had spoken about the importance of raising awareness at all levels, in order to be in a position to recognise and offer help to individuals in such situations, thereby potentially reducing instances of suicide. The figures published last year, statistics found that 83% of these deaths were males, while 22% were foreigners. The victims were aged from below 16 years up to over 95 years of age, with the 40 to 50-year bracket being the most prevalent. The statistics published last year show that over the past seven years, each person who committed suicide below the age of 65, lost an average of 20 years of productive life. Leading psychiatrists and psychologists expressed their concern that the psychiatric sector in Malta is one of the last to be given importance by the Maltese authorities.

(ITALPRESS).

Photo Credits: www.agenziafotogramma.it

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Meanwhile, EuroPride Valletta 2023 and the sector of LGBTIQ+ rights was at the top of the agenda during the bilateral meeting between Malta and Spain. Parliamentary Secretary for Reform and Equality Rebecca Buttigieg had fruitful discussions in Madrid with the Spanish Minister for Equality Irene Montero. Montero and Buttigieg confirmed that they will be working together to safeguard human rights and strengthen equality – values which both sides have close to their hearts.
Rebecca Buttigieg expressed the enthusiasm of the Maltese Government which will be present for the Pride March in Madrid, which is one of the biggest parades in the world. This will give Malta another opportunity to celebrate the achievements of the community in major cities as well as to promote EuroPride Valletta 2023 which will take part for the first time in Malta between 7 – 17 September. “In September we intend to give importance to the work being done in favour of inclusivity and diversity in the Mediterranean region, of which Malta and Spain form a part,” said Buttigieg. She also spoke about the launch of the third national strategy for LGBTIQ+ rights, which includes initiatives aimed at more equality, with an emphasis on education to increase awareness and strengthen the fight against hate crimes. The Spanish Minister showed her admiration for the progress made by Malta in such a short time. While recognising Malta as a model for LGBTIQ+ rights, Montero said that Spain adopted legislation against the practice of conversion after it was inspired by the best practices introduced by Malta. Minister Montero said that she intends to collaborate with Malta to explore ways to improve the recognition of gender in Spain.
Spain is assuming the Presidency of the EU Council for the next six months.

Photo Credits: xf3

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta and Sicily have joined forces to contribute to the protection and safeguarding of the marine and coastal biodiversity of the Marine Protected Areas of both Mediterranean islands through the creation of systems and services for the protection and restoration of cross-border biodiversity, with the direct participation of public entities, businesses, NGOs, fishermen, citizens and tourists by raising awareness and actions on environmental education.
This is the objective of the project “AMPPA – Marine Protected Areas and Artificial Fishing Integrated management through environmental awareness and education”.
This is an initiative financed under the INTERREG V-A Italy-Malta Program with priority axis III (environmental protection and promotion of efficient use of resources) and specific objective 3.1 (Helping to stop the loss of coastal and marine biodiversity of the area by maintaining and restoring ecosystems and protected areas).
Lead partner is the Municipality of Favignana – Management body of the Marine Protected Area “Isole Egadi”, partner: the Regional Department of Mediterranean Fishing; the Municipality of Ustica – Management body of the Marine Protected Area of the Island of Ustica; Gharb Local Council; Ghajnsielem Local Council.
The INTERREG V-A Italy-Malta Program promotes the development of areas of common interest such as environmental protection, land and sea safety, cultural heritage, quality of life and citizens’ health.
Marine Protected Areas play a crucial role in the protection of the marine environment, because they are “ideal tools” for responding to three priority needs for the sustainable development of coastal and marine areas: conserving marine biodiversity, maintaining the productivity of ecosystems and contributing to the economic and social well-being of human communities. The MPAs, if conducted correctly, are the driving force behind the process of integration between the needs of protection of resources and those of development, ensuring an improvement in the quality of life of the coastal populations and the presence of suitable structures to spread the idea of a deeper knowledge and greater respect for natural systems.

– Amppa photo –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (ITALPRESS/MNA) – In its latest biannual report to the Italian Parliament, Italy’s anti-mafia unit DIA (Direzione Investigattiva Antimafia) declared that Maltàs favourable tax regime and the easy regulations to set up a new business “allows the various clans to carry out profitable money laundering activities”.
The report which was highlighted by the weekly newspaper Maltatoday mentions specifically the strong ties that the Sicilian mafia and the ‘Ndrangheta of Calabria have in Malta also considered as a base for fugitives.
The DIA report mentions regularly the Santapaola-Ercolano clan for their connections with Malta and is now believed that they use Malta as a base for its fugitives.
“In March 2021, a police operation revealed subjects who, in order to promote the interests of the Santapaola-Ercolano family, had created on the internet a special gaming platform, not authorized to operate in Italy, attributing its ownership to a Maltese company. Some police operations, concluded over the last few years, testify that crime from Puglia, like the other mafia operations, is interested in the illicit gaming market, with proceeds allowing the acquisition of corporate shareholdings, financial assets, vehicles, boats, luxury accessories, and real estate. As happened in the past, the Maltese territory could continue to be exploited by clans mainly linked to the mafia for its fugitives.”
Various operations conducted by the Italian investigators revealed the real connections of mafia clans with Malta, Italy, and other European countries.
In 2021, €80 million in assets were seized from an online sports betting operation in Malta, Germany, Poland, and Italy. During operation ‘Doppio Giocò, the Maltese company involved with the Santapaola-Ercolano clan was alleged to have facilitated the evasion of €32 million in taxes. The Italian finance police said the Maltese companies laundered over €62 million through the acquisition of land and buildings. The crime group used one of their associates, living in Sliema, as a director for various companies and gaming websites, who would smuggle hard cash from Sicily by car from other mafia associates travelling aboard the Virtu Ferries catamaran. The Italian investigators managed to tap a telephone call as they drove around Sliema, St Julian’s, and Valletta: “Wève reached the peak now here… It’s no longer the Malta we once knew,” says one woman identified as Ilda, a resident of Malta, to a mafia associate.
Previous links between the Santapaola-Ercolano clan were confirmed in Operation ‘Dirty Oil’, the 30 million oil smuggling ring that saw the arrests of Maltese nationals Darren Debono and Gordon Debono, and Italian associate Nicola Orazio Romeo described by prosecutors as someone employed “to further the business interests of the Santapaola-Ercolano family”.
Another investigation, Operation ‘Gaming Offlinè, includes Romeo who was acting on behalf of Santapaola-Ercolano clan. He was accused of a conspiracy of money laundering that used Malta as one of the bases for a gaming company.
Barìs Parisi clan was also linked to Malta with complex cases of tax fraud and money laundering, oil smuggling, extortion, drugs trafficking, and gun trafficking. “In Italy, the Parisi clan are well placed within the business, economic and social context, particularly in animal slaughter and meat processing industries through the control of cooperatives and private companies, and in catering.” Italian anti-mafia police believe the Parisi clan has generated at least €170 million in tax fraud using fictitious VAT credits claimed on inexistent financial transactions.
In Catania, the Cappello-Bonaccorsi, and Laudani clans, are said to control the international drug trafficking route from Rosarno, controlled by the ‘Ndrangheta, just outside the Goia Tauro port to Malta. “This transnational organization planned to import cocaine from the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, and Spain and was able to supply it to the most important local dealerships and Malta. The Rosarno-Catania connection highlights the ties between the Rosarnesi and the Cappello clan of Catania, whose historical origins mean business between the two groups has been going on for several years.”
The Malta connection extends to both the Cappello-Bonaccorsi clan and the Santapoala-Ercolana family, on a large drug trafficking route from Albania to the Netherlands, as well as Calabria and Puglia in southern Italy. “The investigation allowed us to outline the role played by some prominent figures of different mafia families within the Etna region’s criminal scenario… Once again the centrality of the business leads to often rival criminal organisations choosing to coexist on the same territory, renouncing violence and bloody conflicts in favour of business.”
In December 2021, the police in Catania arrested 16 persons in connection to cocaine and cannabis trafficking from Sicily to Malta, with the involvement of Albanians and Maltese. “The narcotics departed from Albania and transited from Puglia and reached Ispica, which hosts an operational base of the organisation, and then passed on from Calabria for resale to Malta, Lombardy, and also on the Sicilian market, specifically the provinces of Syracuse and Ragusa.”
Specifically, the Italian DIA believes much of this trafficking to Malta is coordinated by the Mazzaferro ‘ndrina. “The aforementioned operation reaffirms the highly favourable contiguity between the island of Malta and Sicily for illicit trafficking, as is also apparent from the ‘Alter Egò drug operation of November 2021 which outlined the role of prominent figures of the Santapaola and Cappello families, highlighting the reports, contacts, and dynamics on the trafficking of large quantities of drugs and their supply, for subsequent sale to Maltese collectors”.
-photo agenziafotogramma.it-
(ITALPRESS)

Source: medNews

MILAN (ITALPRESS/MNA) – “Tunisia is the gateway to the Mediterranean. Tunisians are a welcoming people who have repeatedly shown that they stand by friendly peoples. However, we must face the intimidating maneuvers against our country responsibly and in compliance with the law. We do not tolerate what is happening”. This was stated by Kamel Ghribi, President of the GKSD Investment Holding group regarding the influx of sub-Saharan irregular migrants in Sfax, who was quoted by the Tunisie Numerique website.
Ghribi also raised the alarm about the disastrous consequences on the Mediterranean and the neighboring countries facing this situation. Finally, he recalled that, in accordance with the conditions established by international law, the rights of threatened refugees are always guaranteed.
-photo GKSD –
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta registered a deficit of €103.5 million at the of May, while the Government debt stood at €9,083.6 million. This is an increase in debt of €673.8 million when compared to May last year.
According to current forecasts, Maltàs debt ratio is set to increase to 55.3% by 2025. The EU’s Maastricht Criteria state that the ratio of gross governance debt to GDP must not exceed 60%, otherwise the country will enter the Excessive Deficit Procedure. However, the Maastricht Criteria are due to be reassessed in 2024.
Government’s total recurrent revenue at the end of May 2023 stood at €2,454.8 million, while the total expenditure at €2,558.3 million. These represent an increase of €325.4 million and €55.3 million respectively. While expenditure has consistently been higher than recurrent revenue since at least 2003, the difference between the two increased significantly during the pandemic, peaking at €673 million in 2020, and only now returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Recurrent revenue was sourced mainly from income tax, value added tax, and social security, amounting to 78.4% of the total. Respectively, they contributed 36.5%, 21.4%, and 20% of recurrent revenue. Expenditure was spent mostly on programmes and initiatives (53.7%), personal emoluments (17.7%), contributions to government entities (11.6%), and capital expenditure (8.7%).

– photo agenziaFotogramma.it –
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The occupancy at Maltàs prison is the least overcrowded in the European Union, with an occupancy rate of around 65% of its total capacity. According to new data released by Eurostat, Maltàs prison was the lowest in the EU, followed by Estonia and Latvia, which both had a prison occupancy rate of 66%. Cyprus had the highest prison occupancy rate in Europe at 146%, followed by Romania (116%) and France (114%). In a 2021 report, however, the National Audit Office flagged overcrowding as one of the persistent issues at the Corradino Correctional Facility, saying that the 474 cells should ideally each house just one person. The NAO found that the sharing of cells had become common practice, with one dormitory housing 140 inmates. It added that a planned €1.5 million investment that would add 100 cells to the prison would not be enough to afford prisoners ideal living standards. In total, there were 475,038 imprisoned people in the EU, equivalent to 106 prisoners per 100,000 people. When compared to the population, Malta had the ninth-highest prisoner population in Europe with 118.97 prisoners per 100,000 people. Maltàs prison population stood at a total of 614 in 2021, falling from 864 in 2020.
The highest rates of imprisoned people in Europe in 2021 were registered in Hungary and Poland, which both had a rate of 191 prisoners per 100,000 people, followed by Slovakia with 185 prisoners per 100,000 people. The lowest rates were recorded in Finland (51 per 100,000), Slovenia (65 per 100,000) and the Netherlands (65 per 100,000).
(ITALPRESS).
-photo credit agenziafotogramma.it-

Source: medNews