Reading Time: 6 minutes
The Sunday Times has two main stories in its front page. In the first story <<€120m to be made off public land…and that just the start>>, Ivan Camilleri reports that Seabank Group is planning to rake in tens of millions of euros from the controversial public land deal signed with the Labour government last year for the price of just €15 million. The story refers to a KPMG economic impact assessment report which states that the sale of apartments should bring in at least €123 million report for the group over the first three years of the project.
In the second story <<Pilatus moves to take back control>>, Ivan Martin reports that Pilatus Bank’s directors are taking legal action against the financial services watchdog in a bid to take back control of the bank just a month after the authorities placed tough sanction on it.
In a separate report, this time on MaltaToday, we read that the newspaper has been threatened with legal action for publishing the company structure whose directors were linked by Daphne Project to Azerbaijan minister’s sons and Pilatus Bank. <<UK legal threat against MaltaToday over Azeri-Pilatus connection report>> states that a business director named by the The Daphne Project in connection to Azerbaijan oligarchs who hold Pilatus Bank accounts has threatened the paper with the legal action. The story refers to 18 companies which were opened in 2015 by a corporate services firm headed by former Nationalist Foreign Minister Michael Frendo.
The Malta Independent’s main story <<Darren and Gordon Debono electronically tagged, on bail and prevented from leaving Italy>> states that two of the Maltese accused in Italy of the Dirty Oil scandal are still out on bail after arrest in Italy last October. Italian police sources have confirmed that the two, had electronic tagging devices affixed to their wrists and are prevented from leaving Italy. In another story, the newspaper reports that the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit was not able to corroborate the amount of funds held by Minister Konrad Mizzi as declared in his ministerial declaring of assets, noting that they had found quite a bit less in his actual bank accounts than what had been declared. When contacted by the newspaper, Minister Mizzi said he stands by the amount declared but refused to answer any questions.
MaltaToday’s second story <<Green shoots for Delia but it’s still not a contest>> reports that Adrian Delia’s trust rating is up, but despite being at its highest, the PN leader still trails Joseph Muscat by 21 points. The newspaper publishes a trust barometer which sees Delia at 27.2 % and Muscat at 48.6%. Since March, The PN’s leader rating has gone up by seven points while that of Muscat has gone down by four.
Adrian Delia is the subject of a story on the front page of Il-Kulhadd. In this story, entitled <<Mhedded mil-ġdid>> the newspaper reports that the PN leader is facing internal problems, to the extent that there are voices of a potential vote of confidence within the parliamentary group.
In the front page of Il-Mument, we read a report about the General Council of the Nationalist Party being held today. <<Il-Partit Nazzjonalista b’leħen aktar żagħżugh>> reports about a motion being presented today, so that the executive of the party will include a minimum of 14 youths within it.
Illum’s main story <<Is-sondaġġi u d-diskorsi>>, analysis the narrative used by the two leaders during the May 1st events organised by the two parties. The analysis focuses specifically on the issue of foreign workers in Malta and how they’re perceived by people. The article states that 75% see migrants as a burden, but 51% believe they’re strengthening the economy. 49% think integration was successful and 63% see immigration as a problem. These numbers are then contextualised within the speeches done by the political leaders on Tuesday.
It-Torċa’s front page carries a story about the lack of Maltese workers in the hospitality sector. <<M’hawnx Maltin biex jaħdmu fis-settur tal-ospitalita’>> reports about negotiations which JobPlus is doing to bring in more foreign workers in Malta
Il-Mument reports prominently a letter sent by academics at the University of Malta on the proposed changes in the IVF bill. The story entitled <<Il-Gvern taħt attakk qawwi>> refers to the harsh criticism for what is being proposed by the Government on the amendments to the IVF bill, from a number of academics from 14 different faculties at the University of Malta. The issue of IVF is also dealt with on the frontpage of It-Torca. Entitled <<Bla anonimita… inqas donaturi>> the report quotes the head of the department of reproductive medicine at the University of Gent who argues that without anonymity there would be difficulty to find egg aand embryo donors. Il-Kulħadd, in the front page main story <<Isostnu r-rapport tal-2010>> refers to the position of Dr Jean Pierre Farrugia and Dr Frans Agius, who on the issue of embryo freezing, they stand by what they proposed back in 2010, including the freezing and adoptions of embryos.
It-Torċa reports about the appeal that the victims of sexual abuse from priests, will be appealing the decision by the court, whereby the Church, as an organisation, was not found responsible that it had to compensate the victims of the abuse. Another story <<70 ġimgħa bla bidla fil-fjuwil…fl-Ewropa għolew>> refers to the 16 consecutive month, where the price of fuel in Malta has not gone up.
Il-Mument dedicates part of the front page to Valletta’ FC’s double, after winning the final of the FA Trophy yesterday. The same story is also the subject of a lead-on story presented on the front page of the Sunday Times.
The Illum’s front page carries a story entitled <<Irrifjutat il-ħelsien. Il-Qorti tibża li jaħrab>> through which it reports about a Maltese man, of Pakistani descent who has been kept arrested amidts concerns that he would escape. The man is accused of having used false documents in an attempt to get Maltese citizenship.
Il-Kullħadd carries a story <<18-il Negozju Ġdid Kuljum>> which refers to the fact that in the past year, 6,642 new business set up shop in Malta. In another story <<Busuttil b’tour tal-Occupy Justice>> refers to a trip in Brussels, headed by former PN leader Simon Busuttil and former PN Secretary General Rosette Thake, which included a delegation of women who form Occupy Justice. The report says that the purpose of the visit was to damage Malta’s reputation abroad. 
