Guilty of delivering misleading information

The Head of Government Communication Kurt Farrugia is found guilty of delivering "misleading information aimed at damaging a person’s reputation".

Full report: http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2013-11-11/news/kurt-farrugia-given-dressing-down-for-news-report-during-hot-political-climate-3154149376/

Police should have handled Vella case better - PM

From TIMES OF MALTA.COM

The police should have handled things better in the case of Norman Vella, after he was accused of taking pictures in a restricted airport area, according to Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.

“I don’t interfere in police investigations but things could have been done better,” Dr Muscat said in an interview with The Sunday Times of Malta.

Asked if he planned to do anything about the matter, after Mr Vella, a former TV presenter, called for an investigation, Dr Muscat said he did not feel it was his place to meddle in police investigations.

Read the full story in The Sunday Times of Malta, the e-paper or on timesofmalta.com premium here.

The Norman Vella saga

By Stephen Calleja
Published in The Malta Independent on Sunday

If people are going to be arrested on the flimsy suspicion that they took photos of two government communications officers in the airport’s departure lounge, then I wonder where we’re heading.

There are various points that need clarification and analysis after what former TV presenter Norman Vella had to go through this past week, starting off with his arrest on Sunday.

Norman Vella offers to appear on PBS, but no invitation received

From THE MALTA INDEPENDENT

In the wake of calls for tonight’s Xarabank’s programme to deal with the Norman Vella arrest last Sunday, Mr Vella has written that since he was part of the team that produced Malta’s most popular programme, his situation should not be discussed there.

Writing on Facebook after the social media was inundated with requests that Xarabank should deal with Mr Vella’s arrest, the former TV presenter said that it is precisely the fact that he worked together with Peppi Azzopardi and the Xarabank team that the programme should not tackle his issue.

But Mr Vella noted that on Monday morning he had informed PBS head of news Reno Bugeja that he and his lawyers Karol Aquilina and Therese Comodini Cachia were prepared to take part in any other programme on PBS.

But, since Monday, no current affairs programme on PBS has made an invitation, Mr Vella said.
PBS, he said, had a daily two-hour current affairs programme in the morning (the breakfast show presented by Pablo Micallef and Norma Saliba) and five hourly programmes before the 8pm news between Monday and Friday (presented by Saviour Balzan, The Times newsroom, Andrew Azzopardi and PBS newsroom).

Fuq Net TV wara l-ogħti tas-sentenza mill-Qorti

Norman Vella u l-avukati Dr Karol Aquilina u Dr Therese Commodini Cachia fil-programm Dot Net tal-lejla wara li l-Qorti tat is-sentenza.

Illejla fil-Parlament

Il-Kap tal-Oppożizzjoni Simon Busuttil dwar is-sentenza mogħtija fil-każ Norman Vella.

Norman Vella deposits court judgement at door of Castille

From TIMES OF MALTA.COM, 30 October 2013

Norman Vella this evening said justice had been done when a court declared that there was no reasonable suspicion that he had committed a crime at the airport last Sunday.

In a hastily called press conference, Mr Vella deposited the text of the judgement at the front door of the Auberge de Castille and said responsibility had to be assumed for what happened. There had been abuse of power and it was the prime minister's duty to ensure that responsibility was shouldered.

Wara l-każ Norman Vella: min qiegħed imexxi l-korp?

Blog ta' Carmel Cacopardo

Li l-Pulizija jinvestigaw suspett ta’  reat hu sewwa.  Imma li wara li teżamina l-affarijiet u ma issib xejn tibqa’ tippersisti mhux sempliċi żball iżda abbuż.

Is-sentenza tal-Maġistrat il-lejla illi ma kien hemm l-ebda suspett raġjonevoli li Norman Vella wettaq xi reat hu ċertifikat ċar li l-Pulizija abbużat mill-poteri tagħha.

Huwa inkwetanti  li l-Pulizja sa dal-għodu, fi kliem il-Kummissarju tal-Pulizija, kienu għadhom qed jinvestigaw xi ħaġa li ma kienitx teżisti.

Wara s-sentenza tal-Qorti tal-Maġistrati hemm bżonn li l-Kummissarju tal-Pulizija jispjega ftit x’ġara. Jeħtieġ li jispjega x’rapporti saru u x’ser jagħmel issa li irriżulta li r-rapporti li l-Pulizija irċeviet mingħand żewġ persuni identifikati  kienu rapporti foloz.

Sfortunatament minn dan il-każ jidher ċar li dan m’huwiex każ ta’ inkompetenza imma iktar każ ta’ abbuż.

Ikun tajjeb jekk il-Kummissarju tal-Pulizija Peter Paul Zammit jirrealizza li b’dan il-każ li sar taħt it-tmexxija tiegħu tal-Korp tal-Pulizija beda jkun ċar li l-korp m’huwiex immexxi sewwa.

Il-mistoqsija li tagħha tinħtieġ tweġiba hi: min qiegħed imexxi l-korp fir-realta’? Żgur li mhux Peter Paul Zammit !

Bla dubju l-abbuż ikompli. Prosit Norman.

Silvio Scerri wkoll involut fl-arrest ta' Norman Vella fl-Ajruport

Minn Net Television

Norman Vella publishes his statement - Inspector received phone call mentioning Silvio Scerri

From TIMES OF MALTA.COM

A police inspector who was questioning former broadcaster Norman Vella last Sunday received a phone call to which she replied "Silvio Scerri who?" and then added that she only gave information to the Police Commissioner.

The phone call is revealed in the text of the police statement which Mr Vella gave the police. He published a copy today. (The chief of staff at the Ministry of Home Affairs is Silvio Scerri)

The prime minister and Manuel Mallia are planning Norman Vella’s future

From Daphne Caruana Galizia Running Commentary

Norman Vella, July 2012 – boy, was he RIGHT.

From Daphne Caruana Galizia Running Commentary

Those Labour scum, for scum they indubitably are, invited Vella onto the Fat Controller’s show on Super One only to proceed to insult him and attack him – because being Labour and a total bunch of hamalli (I was never allowed to use that word growing up, but face it, no other one suffices) they think it’s normal to let rip into your guests in your ‘home’ by means of verbal assaults and insults.

‘Who is Silvio Scerri?’ – inspector questioning Norman Vella

From The Malta Independent

While Norman Vella was being questioned by police on Sunday, one of the inspectors received a call which she answered with the words “Who is Silvio Scerri?”, following which she replied that she will not give any information to anyone except to the police commissioner.

This forms part of a statement to the police made and signed by Norman Vella, who last Sunday was held for four hours at the end of his shift as an immigration officer, for allegedly taking photos of the government’s chief communications officer Kurt Farrugia and Home Ministry communications coordinator Ramona Attard at the MIA departure lounge.

In his statement to the police, Mr Vella said that while he was being questioned Inspector M’Stella Attard, in the presence of Inspector Silvio Magro and a police sergeant, received a telephone call which she answered by mentioning Silvio Scerri.

The name mentioned is the same name as that of the chief of staff at the Home Affairs Ministry.

L-Orizzont: a bunch of liars like their political masters (and mistresses)

From Daphne Caruana Galizia Running Commentary

L-Orizzont has run a story on Norman Vella’s arrest and detention, except that they didn’t call it that.

It includes the outrageous lie that I uploaded on this site a photograph which Norman Vella took, only to delete it ‘ftit wara’.

Total bollocks, like the rest of the newspaper and those who own it and run it – the General Workers Union and their lying Labour friends.

Norman Vella arrest: A heavy handed approach

The Malta Independent Leader

Former television presenter Norman Vella is currently in the news after he was questioned by the police at his current place of work, as an immigration officer at the Malta International airport.
The case involves his alleged taking of photographs of two political aides as they travelled to London. The official story is that police officers were watching CCTV footage and saw him apparently take a couple of snaps.

He was subsequently held for four hours of questioning and had his mobile phone and a tablet confiscated. Mr Vella said he cooperated with the police and showed them his phone and the other device. He said the police found no such images. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat yesterday said that Mr Vella was not arrested and that he was held for “questioning”.