A 38-year-old man from Sliema was arraigned before the court of magistrates facing money laundering charges.

The grocery owner, whose name cannot be published due to a court order, appeared before magistrate Francesco Depasquale charged with crimes committed in September 2017 and in previous years.

Inspector Raymond Aquilina explained that the man is accused of offering banking services without a licence and for offering services related to finance.

The court heard how the accused used to accept cheques from clients, charging a commission, before depositing the amount s in his shop till. The accused would take a small percentage in commission for this service rendered. This illegal operation would take place in his grocery store in Sliema, the court was told.

Defence lawyer Sandro Lia said that the court should take note of the clean police conduct. The prosecution argued that there are investigations still ongoing but did not object to the request for bail. The defence then mentioned how the man cooperated with the police and gave all necessary documents to the authorities. Lia remarked that the man has a fixed job, a fixed residence in Malta with young children.

Magistrate Depasquale ordered that the man is released on bail but gave him to pay a deposit of €2,000 and a personal guarantee of €10,000.