A gaming company director has been charged with misappropriating hundreds of thousands in client's winnings.

Andrew Martin Jones, a 55-year-old Briton, pleaded not guilty to misappropriation, acquiring money through fraud, making other fraudulent gains, accounting offences as well as money laundering.

He was arraigned under arrest years after a criminal complaint was lodged some years ago by the client who claimed that she was owed a substantial amount of winnings by the gaming company.

His lawyers, Giannella de Marco and Charles Mercieca, contested the prosecution’s request for a freezing order over all his assets, pointing out that the outstanding balance of €910,000 owed to the complainant had since been reimbursed and the woman had withdrawn her complaint.   

However, after hearing submissions  Magistrate Yana Micallef Stafrace upheld the prosecution’s request and issued the freezing order.

A defence request for bail was upheld under a number of conditions which included signing the bail book once a week and binding himself by means of a personal guarantee of €25,000.

AG lawyer Julia Cini prosecuted together with Inspector Keith Darmanin.