Gaming consultant Iosif Galea was extradited from Germany and has been charged in Malta with financial crime.

Galea, 42 from Siggiewi, appeared before Magistrate Noel Bartolo yesterday.

In court on Thursday, Galea pleaded not guilty to charges which included money laundering and financial crime as a public official, as well as the misuse of electronic equipment.

He made headlines in May 2022 when he was arrested in Italy while on holiday with a group that included former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, over a German European Arrest Warrant linked to a tax investigation. A separate European Arrest Warrant was issued by the Maltese Authorities in connection to an alleged leak of information from the gaming authority, but it was reportedly issued after his arrest in Italy. Galea was previously a compliance officer at the Gaming Authority back when it was called the Lotteries and Gaming Authority.

A request for bail by the defence was objected to by the prosecution due to the gravity of the charges and fear of evidence tampering.

The defendant's lawyer, Edward Gatt, said that his client served a prison term in Germany and insisted on returning to Malta.

The bail request was refused by the magistrate, and Galea was remanded in custody.

A request for a freezing order of the accused's assets was also upheld by the magistrate.