Police present 12 Terabytes of data in searches related to Darren Debono

Some 12 Terabytes of data recovered by the police in searches related to Darren Debono and Jeffrey Chetcuti have been exhibited in court, prompting the magistrate to highlight the need for more staff.

Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech heard a court-appointed IT expert report on various devices, amongst them, several smartphones as the compilation of evidence against the two men continued this morning.

The expert had examined laptops and iPads, 22 mobile phones, hard drives from laptops, PCs and servers and 22 memory cards. The contents of the devices were exhibited on a 12 Tb hard drive this morning.

Debono, who is accused in Italy of participating in a €30 million fuel smuggling ring, and Chetcuti are charged with money laundering.

The defence requested a copy of the data.

Two architects, Daniel Micallef and Claude Mallia testified to their relationship with Scoglitti.

Micallef said he had been commissioned to carry out architectural works at the restaurant by Debono on 16 April 2014. He had filed an application for a Development Notification Order in Debono’s name. Another application was filed to make a tent on the premises into a permanent structure, add solar panels and other small jobs, but the Planning Board had recommended a refusal.

The application for Scoglitti was then withdrawn. In this case the application was made by Debono as an individual. On 8 March 2018, an enforcement notice was issued to Florinda Sultana. “When this happens the solutions are two: Either you remove the structure or apply to sanction.” In this case an application to sanction was filed by Sultana.

A change in name of the applicant to a Marvin McKay was made somewhere along the line, he said. The permit was eventually refused and the refusal confirmed on appeal in February this year.

Mallia testified about the Sottomare restaurant application for internal alterations. He recognised Debono as the client.

A representative of the Planning Authority exhibited an application filed by Florinda Sultana over Scoglietti in Valletta, together with its refusal. An appeal was filed in the name of Marvin MacKay, said the representative. Another application filed by Debono for Scoglietti in 2016 was withdrawn during a board sitting.

As the sitting drew to a close, the magistrate was asked about the digitalisation of the acts of the case – over a dozen volumes.

Magistrate Frendo Dimech said that the court had requested urgent digitalisation of acts as the case files copies are required by the defence and there was no time for her staff to do them. The workload on the court employees was too great, she said. “Every document has to be stamped and numbered and signed. This is a waste of time,” observed the visibly annoyed magistrate.

“As soon as the administration gives us the staff, I can work.”

Inspectors Joseph Xerri and James Turner, assisted by AG lawyer Antoine Agius Bonnici, prosecuted. 

Lawyers Giannella De Marco, Stephen Tonna Lowell, Jean-Paul Sammut, Gianluca Caruana Curran and Charles Mercieca assisted Debono and Chetcuti.