Money laundering, drug trafficking suspect, arrested after December police raid, granted bail

A court has granted bail to one of two men arrested in a police raid in Paola last December, in which €800,000 worth of luxury cars, gold and cash were recovered.

Melvin Debono, 29 from Paola had been arrested together with 40-year-old Dean Martin of Hamrun and charged with possession of cocaine, heroin and cannabis in circumstances which denoted they were not for their personal use. Debono alone was also accused of six counts of money laundering and with breaching a number of bail decrees.

The men are being tried separately.

Although the Attorney General had opposed Debono’s release on bail, in a decree issued this morning, magistrate Neville Camilleri, upheld the defence’s request for the man’s release from arrest, ordering the man to provide a €10,000 deposit and a personal guarantee of €25,000 as security.

In a related case, about the same investigation, Dean Martin, who is accused of similar charges remains under arrest until his next sitting on 23 February.

Inspectors Mark Anthony Mercieca, Steven Ryan Micallef and Omar Caruana are prosecuting.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Marion Camillleri are appearing for Debono.