Mario Degiorgio has been convicted of money laundering in a case linked to payments allegedly made on behalf of his brothers, George and Alfred Degiorgio, while they were in prison.

The 65-year-old, from Marsa, was however cleared of extortion charges concerning events dating back to 2017 and 2018.

Magistrate Leonard Caruana sentenced Degiorgio to two years in prison, suspended for four years, and fined him €25,000. The court also ordered the confiscation of property belonging to him.

The proceedings stemmed from a police investigation launched after a series of secretly recorded conversations by Melvin Theuma, the self-confessed middleman in the plot to murder journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Degiorgio was arraigned in July 2022, with prosecutors alleging that he had received and handled funds linked to criminal activity and had also sought money for his brothers following their imprisonment.

A significant part of the case focused on money which, according to the prosecution, was passed on for the benefit of George and Alfred Degiorgio while they were behind bars.

Theuma featured prominently in the proceedings. He told the court that he had given Mario Degiorgio money intended for his brothers and described being approached for further sums on different occasions.

He also testified that he felt pressured into continuing with the payments and referred to money being requested to cover expenses connected to the two brothers during their time in prison.

Despite that evidence, the court did not find Degiorgio guilty of extortion, while convicting him on the money laundering charge.

The case was prosecuted by Attorney General lawyers Francesco Refalo and Marthese Grech, assisted by Inspectors Leanne Bonello and Christopher Ellul.

Degiorgio was represented by lawyer Leslie Cuschieri.