Updated 12.50pm

The brother of George and Alfred Degiorgio was remanded in custody on Tuesday after pleading not guilty to money laundering and blackmail.

Mario Degiorgio, 65, from Marsa was escorted to court after being targeted by an arrest warrant triggered by investigations into alleged involvement in laundering money derived from criminal activity.

He was working in tandem with his brothers and others, alleged prosecuting inspector Leanne Bonello while the accused, wearing black shorts, spectacles and a striped t-shirt, sat silently in the dock.

He was arrested on Monday at his Marsa home after the police continued to investigate a series of secret voice recordings by self-confessed middleman in the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder plot, Melvin Theuma. 

Degiorgio's lawyers, William Cuschieri and Lennox Vella, pointed out that the blackmail charge had been added on and no questions had been put to the suspect during questioning. 

Nor did the police provide disclosure to the defence, they argued.

But the inspector rebutted that the blackmail charge could only be substantiated once the police had spoken to Melvin Theuma, who is to be the main witness in this case.

Melvin Theuma, centre, leaving court in a previous case. File photo: Mark Zammit Cordina

Investigations were based on his recordings which dated back to 2017 or 2018 and all those were disclosed to the suspect during interrogation.

In his statement, Degiorgio mainly opted for his right to silence, explained Bonello. 

A request for bail was strongly objected to by the prosecution in view of the very serious nature of the offences, as well as the fear of tampering with evidence given that some six civilian witnesses were still to testify. 

Degiorgio now knew what charges he was facing, said Attorney General lawyer Francesco Refalo. 

Asked about the identity of these witnesses, the prosecution declined to say who they are to avoid exposing them to the risk of tampering. 

Vella rebutted that these allegations dated back years and there was nothing new. 

“During disclosure we spoke of a Chihuahua dog, nothing much,” said Vella.

And besides, this main witness was under police protection “as far as I know, if he still is”.

Theuma has testified many times in related proceedings and it was doubtful what new light he could shed on these allegations, the lawyer argued. 

After hearing submissions, the court, presided over by magistrate Rachel Montebello, turned down the request for bail in view of the prosecution’s objections.

The court also upheld a request by the prosecution for an attachment and freezing order over all assets of the accused and urged the prosecution to summon its civilian witnesses at the earliest possible. 

Inspector Christopher Ellul also prosecuted, assisted by AG lawyers Marthese Grech and Francesco Refalo.