Ex-Times director Vince Buhagiar asks court to reduce amount of frozen money

A court is to decree on a request by former Times of Malta managing director Vince Buhagiar to revise down the amount of money struck by a freezing order.

Buhagiar is charged with money laundering and related offences, over payments he received from a Gibraltar-based company, Malmos Ltd, owned by former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri.

He is accused of conspiring with Schembri and another Allied Group managing director, Adrian Hillman, to skim thousands off the top of a deal through which Progress Press bought printing machinery from Kasco.

Buhagiar started working at Allied Group in 1966. In 2003, he became chairman of Progess Press, part of the Allied Group, which also publishes the Times of Malta newspaper.

During the sitting this morning, his lawyer, Veronique Dalli dictated a note, explaining to the court that in terms of the application he had filed on 10 November, and without prejudice to her client’s innocence, the accused said the amount which “appears to need to be safeguarded by the freezing order issued on 20 March 2021” should be €246,880.39. Therefore, the rest of the man’s assets should be released from the freezing order, submitted the lawyer.

AG prosecutor Antoine Agius Bonnici said that in view of the fact that Inspector Joseph Xerri had testified on 6 December 2021, indicating the amounts allegedly received by the accused, the prosecution did not contest the request.

Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech said she would be handing down a decree at a later date.

The case continues in March.