Alfred Degiorgio gambled €570,000 over the years, losing €71,000, court hears

The money-laundering case against George and Alfred Degiorgio and George Degiorgio’s partner Anca Adelina Pop continued in court today.

The three are all being accused with a series of money laundering-related offences. The two brothers, Alfred Degiorgio, ‘il-Fulu’, and George Degiorgio, ‘ic-Ciniz’, are also being accused, in a separate case, of the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

The court, presided by Magistrate Joe Mifsud, heard this morning how while it appears, from today’s testimony, that George Degiorgio and his partner Pop were not avid gamblers, Alfred Degiorgio had gambled €570,000 over the years, losing €71,000.

Taking the stand, former Assistant Police Commissioner Neville Aquilina, now an employee with an iGaming company, said he had been appointed to determine whether the Degiorgio brothers and Pop were clients of Dragonara Casino.

He said that George Degiorgio had only been to the casino on one occasion, while Pop had never visited it. Alfred Degiorgio, on the other hand, was a regular client, and had gambled over €39,000 in three years, losing €18,000 of these.

Portomaso and Oracle Casino representative Abigal Fenech, also taking the stand, said that George Degiorgio and his partner had never been clients of these two casinos. Alfred Degiorgio, however, had gambled over €40,000 and lost €31,000 in the Oracle Casino, and had also gambled more than €457,000 and lost €16,000 in the Portomaso gambling establishment.

A Casino Malta representative, another gambling establishment witness, told the court how Alfred Degiorgio had gambled €34,000 and lost around €6,000 there.

Fexserv Financial Services representative Paul Vassallo, also giving testimony today, presented the court with a set of 52 foreign transactions George Degiorgio had made

He also presented eight foreign transactions for Alfred Degiorgio, and 57 such transactions for his partner Pop.

Vassallo, in addition, exhibited 52 other transactions going back five years, where Pop had received money from abroad via Western Union transfers.

The case continues on 22 October.