The case against Chris Fearne, Edward Scicluna, and 13 others for their alleged role in the fraudulent Vitals deal has been split into six separate cases.

On Friday, prosecutors requested that the case be separated, and Magistrate Leonard Caruana accepted.

The prosecution's initial decision to arraign 24 people split in only two cases had raised eyebrows last year when top politicians, civil servants, and companies were arraigned over the Vitals deal.

All accused pleaded not guilty to their charges. 

Chris Fearne and Edward Scicluna will be tried together.

Civil servants Alfred Camilleri, Joseph Rapa, and Ronald Mizzi will be tried together in a separate case.

DF Advocates employees Kenneth Deguara, Kevin Deguara, Jean Carl Farrugia, and Deborah Anne Chappell, along with their former firm DF Advocates, are defendants in a third case.

Bradley Gatt, the lawyer and former employee of DF Advocates will face trial in a standalone case.

Aron Mifsud Bonnici and Manuel Castagna will be prosecuted in a fifth case, while  James Camenzuli and Robert Borg will be tried together.

During Friday's sitting, Court Services Agency (CSA) financial controller Bernice Bugeja was on the witness stand. Cross examined by defence lawyer Franco Debono, she told the court that court experts engaged in the Vitals inquiry would bill the CSA €270 per hour.

Bugeja testified that the experts had switched their accommodation from the Intercontinental Hotel to the Hotel Excelsior after their expenses were flagged by the CSA for being excessive.

She further told the court that there is no system in place to assess expert invoices, and so she approved all the costs.