A former judge who now chairs the Malta Racing Club was summoned as a witness in money laundering proceedings against Yorgen Fenech.
The business tycoon owned a racehorse registered with the club.
Judge Emeritus Antonio Mizzi took the stand on Monday as a prosecution witness when Fenech was escorted to court for a hearing in the ongoing compilation of evidence over money laundering charges in connection with Maltese gaming company Glimmer Ltd.
The prosecution is alleging that Fenech committed fraud, misappropriation and money laundering to the detriment of the company where he was joint shareholder with his uncle Ray Fenech.
Four other businessmen allegedly linked to the suspect activity, were also arraigned last year in connection with the allegations which dated between April and October 2019.
Glimmer Ltd’s chief operating officer Patrick Demanuele, 44 and company director Anthony Farrugia, 36, both pleaded not guilty.
Father and son duo Joseph, 67 and Nicholas Cachia, 46, were also charged with money laundering, while the younger man was separately charged with money laundering, fraud and embezzlement.
The former judge was summoned to testify back-to-back in separate proceedings against Fenech and the Cachias which were both scheduled for today.
His role at the Malta Racing Club was to chair the board and oversee the administration of the club.
Asked about the procedure involved when importing, exporting or transferring horses, Mizzi said that animals were registered with the club only if they were to race.
There was no need to register horses that were acquired for private purposes.
In the case of racehorses, a passport and export certificate from the country of origin were required for registration and the same applied when an animal was to be exported. In the case of export, the applicant informs the club of the projected transfer and the relative certificate is issued.
“That’s all,” said Mizzi.
Such documentation provides an ownership trail.
Mark Consiglio, another representative of the Malta Racing Club, returned to the witness stand after being requested to present additional documents on a particular racehorse formerly owned by Fenech.
He explained that Fenech had failed to pay his annual membership fee in 2019 and that meant that his trainer could not register the horse, Prince di Poggio, for a race.
For that purpose, the animal was transferred to Ray Fenech, competed in one race and was later transferred to a third party.
Both the Fenech and Cachia cases continue in March.
Inspector Brian Paul Camilleri is prosecuting, assisted by AG lawyers Cinzia Azzopardi Alamango and Marthese Grech. Lawyers Gianluca Caruana Curran, Charles Mercieca and Marion Camilleri are counsel to Fenech. Lawyers Matthew Brincat and Kathleen Calleja Grima are counsel to the Cachias.