Two company directors of a Pietà restaurant, pleading not guilty to money laundering charges, are challenging the law that allows a blanket freeze of assets which they claim to be “draconian, extreme and disproportionate”.
Keith Testa, 29, and Carlos Dimech, 27, were charged last year in their personal capacity as well as in their role as directors of Pietà Marina Caterers Ltd operating Onda Blu fish restaurant at Sa Maison.
Those charges had followed investigations into suspected financial crimes by former footballer Darren Debono.
While criminal proceedings continue, lawyers for the two accused have filed a constitutional case challenging the law that allows the prosecution to request a freezing order over all assets of persons charged with money laundering, making no distinction between proceeds of crime and other assets derived from legitimate sources.
Defence lawyer Stefano Filletti had immediately argued that such distinction needed to be made when the criminal case kicked off in June last year.
But the prosecution had rebutted that the law made no distinction and the court had proceeded to issue the blanket freezing order, save for a monthly allowance of just over €13,000...
