Gordon Debono and his wife, who are both facing money laundering charges, have been granted bail.
Debono, as well as his wife Yvette, had their request for bail upheld against a €50,000 payment each and a €150,000 personal guarantee. Both will need to sign a bail book twice a day
The Debonos appeared in court for the first sitting in their compilation of evidence. They had been charged last November.
Lawyer Roberto Montalto appeared for Gordon Debono and his companies while Joe Giglio appeared for his wife and her company Yves Ltd.
Their arrest came following an investigation that had been launched in 2013.
Inspector Omar Caruana from the Criminal Investigations Department of the police, had said previously in the compilation of evidence that Proteus was set up together with Europol and the Italian Guardia di Finanza. Gordon Debono was found to have an account in Satabank closed in March 2018, which in 2 years received some €530,000 from, amongst others, Petroplus and Petroplus Trading ltd (BVI). Debono was a shareholder and director of Petroplus and other companies, he had said.
The investigation found many cheques made out to Shaun Higgans who would cash them. The total amount cashed by Higgans, who is also accused of money laundering in separate proceedings, is thought to be over €7.1 million, the inspector had testified.
The inspector said from that the companies’ books, police had found that inflated costs had been used to evade tax. After seeing sufficient evidence to suspect money laundering, the police sought an arrest warrant against Debono at his Marsaskala house. A number of devices were seized. He said he had lost his mobile but hadn’t made a police report about it, recalled the inspector. A total of 30 vehicles were seized from the Debonos. Gordon had told police under interrogation that his income was from leasing out properties and stood at around €5000 per month. He was unable to list the properties he was renting out, observed the inspector. Furthermore, there were invoices and instructions to payment of companies “which have a bad reputation,” Caruana had said.
The inspector also said that Yvette Debono had several hundred thousand euros deposited with various local banks, despite government employment registrar Jobsplus listing her last employment as being a Learning Support Assistant in 2016.
The inspector had said that she told the police that she was a housewife and hadn’t worked for 8 years. She had become a director of some companies, but this was in name only, she had said under interrogation.