Psychiatrist Mark Xuereb and former boxer Scott Dixon in the dock over forgery charges

Updated with more details on the case

Psychiatrist Mark Xuereb and former boxer Scott Dixon were on Monday charged under arrest with a number of offences including forgery.

The two pleaded not guilty to falsification of documents, false declarations, and breaches of legal obligations and bail conditions.

Mark-Anthony Xuereb, a 53-year-old Maltese national, and Scott Dixon, a 48-year-old Scottish national, were both charged with offences alleged to have been committed between February 2023 and May 2024.

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The court heard how Dixon, who is out on bail over a 2009 cannabis seizure, failed to sign his bail book for some time. He had already been out on bail against a €15,000 deposit and a €25,000 personal guarantee.

When authorities moved to arrest the former boxer, Dixon presented medical certificates in court to explain his absence. Presiding Judge Natasha Galea Sciberras had ordered an investigation.

The certificates, it turned out, were fake, and allegedly produced by the psychiatrist.

Xuereb, founder of Crisis Resolution Malta, who has often appeared on TV programmes, was charged as a public officer, and is accused of altering official records and making false declarations in the course of his duties. Prosecutors also allege he knowingly submitted incorrect information to obtain advantages, breaching multiple articles of the Criminal Code.

The court was asked to consider penalties that include his disqualification from holding any public licence or warrant, as well as general interdiction.

Dixon is accused of knowingly using forged documents and false declarations. He also faces charges for failing to update or surrender incorrect identity documents as required by Maltese law. Furthermore, prosecutors allege that Dixon breached bail conditions previously imposed by the court, which included prohibitions on committing further offences.

Both men were already subject to strict bail conditions from different cases. These included mandatory check-ins at the Sliema police station, curfews between midnight and 6 am, and restrictions on contacting prosecution witnesses or leaving the country.

Xuereb was released against a personal guarantee of €10,000, while Dixon was released against a €12,000 personal guarantee along with a €3,000 deposit.

Mark Xuereb is being represented by lawyer Matthew Xuereb while Scott Dixon is being represented by lawyers Franco Debono, Adreana Zammit and Micheal Schriha.

The case is ongoing.