Restaurant owner extradited from Italy over €2 million tax fraud
Investigators flag suspect transactions linked to Storie & Sapori restaurant chain
The owner of the Storie & Sapori restaurant chain has been extradited from Italy to face €2 million tax fraud and money-laundering charges.
Giuseppe Napolitano, 53 was denied bail and slapped with an asset freeze on Saturday.
He denies the charges.
A European arrest warrant was issued against Napolitano, who was in Italy running a restaurant in Naples.
Suspicions were raised by police investigators about the amount of voided transactions at the Gżira and St Julian’s restaurants.
The Financial Crimes Investigations Department (FCID) flagged €238,000 voided transactions between January 2020 and August 2021, and €54,000 cancelled transactions.
Investigators also flagged €1.6 million suspect transactions linked to the St Julian’s restaurant.
Prosecutors allege Napolitano also left Malta with outstanding tax liabilities of over €2 million.
Defence lawyer Jason Azzopardi told the court that Napolitano was in discussions with the tax authorities to regularise his position, using a controversial law allowing tax crimes to be settled out of court.
Prosecutors objected to Napolitano being given bail, arguing that the restaurant owner had been away from Malta for 18 months.
Magistrate Kevan Azzopardi denied bail.
Lawyers Jason Azzopardi, Kris Busietta and Alessandro Farrugia represent Napolitano.