A couple who run a poultry butcher in Tarxien used to cash their customers’ social security cheques, sometimes charging €5 for a service, a court heard this week.

The married couple, Anthony Manicaro and his wife Mary Grace, are both pleading not guilty to money laundering charges and to running an unlicensed financial institution.

Prosecuting inspector Oriana Spiteri explained how police had grown suspicious after discovering that a significant number of cheques had been deposited into the couple’s joint account. Many of those cheques were issued by the Central Bank or in the name of third parties.

As investigators delved deeper into the couple’s financial standing, they noted that the store had an estimated €2 million turnover over the past seven years.

The husband was registered as the sole breadwinner, paying taxes on an annual declared income of €20,000. 

Investigators spoke to people living nearby, many of whom had no bank accounts and relied on social benefits. They told the police that they would buy meat and cheeselets from the store and settle the bill using their social benefit cheques. They claimed that this was “convenient”, since it spared them the long queues at the post office or the bank.

Five of those customers were summoned to testify when the proceedings continued this week. All five said that they would settle bills at the store using their social security cheques. 

Two of the witnesses said that the sellers would charge €5 for every cheque cashed. However, the others said that they were not charged anything extra for the cashing of a cheque. 

A father of five explained how he would buy meat and rabbits from the couple’s shop, handing over his weekly €73 social benefits cheque when settling the bill. 

Another man said that he used to buy poultry and eggs from the shop, “in cash or by cheque and he [Manicaro] never took anything extra apart from payment for the goods.”

Brian Farrugia, representing the Asset Recovery Bureau, engaged to assess the viability of the poultry-sellers’ business, testified that, based on the net profit declared by the accused and the running expenses involved, the business, at the moment, was not viable. 

The case continues next month. 

Inspectors Oriana Spiteri, Keith Mallan and Danilo Francalanza prosecuted, assisted by AG lawyer Andrea Zammit.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Amadeus Cachia were defence counsel. 

Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech presided over proceedings.