Darren Debono’s step-daughter, former BNF Bank official charged with money laundering
The step-daughter of Darren Debono, who faces charges of money laundering in Malta over an oil smuggling operation, has been charged with money laundering.
Florinda (Floren Sultana), 29, and a former high-ranking BNF
Bank official, Albert Buttigieg (who is not the St. Julian’s mayor), were
accused of fronting companies which manage two seafood restaurants, to launder
money linked to oil smuggling.
They pleaded not guilty to numerous charges filed against
them.
Sultana was once the main actress for a 2013 Labour
electoral ad, in which she portrayed a stereotypical middle-class Nationalist
voter announcing she was ‘switching’ to Labour.
Both are being prosecuted in their personal capacity, while
Sultana also stands charged as former director of Nesvan Company Ltd and MSI
Catering, and Buttigieg as director of Luzzu Catering, the operators of
Porticello in Valletta and Capo Mulini in Marsaxlokk, respectively.
Search and arrest warrants were issued for Sultana and
Buttigieg late last year during the extensive police anti-smuggling operation
which resulted in the arrests of former footballers Darren Debono and Jeffrey
Chetcuti, as well as auditor Chris Baldacchino over similar money laundering
charges.
Investigators working on taking apart an organized crime
group that allegedly ran a €30 million fuel smuggling racket, had linked these
restaurant-owning companies to Darren Debono who was arrested in December and
released on bail last week.
All companies had the same Swieqi-based address and shared a
host of similar features including a pattern of banking transactions, money
trails and day-to-day operations, as well as a common warranted auditor.
When testifying at the start of criminal proceedings against
Sultana and Buttigieg, inspector James Turner gave details about investigations
into the Valletta and Marsaxlokk restaurants, both specializing in seafood.
The restaurants adopted the same payment method and each had
its own ePOS system. The daily cash flow was not deposited, thus avoiding
questions by banks, the inspector told the court.
Sultana is the daughter of Debono’s partner, while Buttigieg
provided corporate banking services to the former footballer at Banif Bank,
affording internal assistance that enabling the client to bypass the ant-money
laundering system and avoid detection of financial layering.
Sultana used his right to silence when she was arrested at
home in Mosta.
A search of her home yielded some €52,000 in cash, various
branded items including Gucci and Armani and ten watches, including a Rolex,
large glass jars containing banknotes and coins as well as documents linked to
sales at Porticello, Capo Mulini, Silver Horse and Onda Blu restaurants.
The woman was later questioned and asked to explain
possession of those items as well as an Audi A1 the acquisition of which could
not be linked to any bank transaction.
Inspector Danilo Francalanza, from the anti-money laundering
squad, testified about his role in the search at Sultana’s home.
Another officer from the unit, PS Francesco Farrugia,
described the search at Albert Buttigieg’s Swieqi residence in December, during
which a number of documents and electronic devices were seized. The search
party had then moved on to Marsaxlokk, searching Capo Mulini and two
interconnected garages behind the restaurant and seizing other documents and
devices. During his interrogation, Buttigieg was unable to explain how the
business, claimed to be struggling, had still managed to register earnings of
€1 million.
Questions were also asked about refurbishment works at the
restaurant and the involvement of Spiridione, known as Daimer, Goodlip who
allegedly took instructions from Debono. Goodlip is brother to Debono’s partner
Odette Goodlip.
Marsaxlokk restaurant Capo Mulini’s chef patron at one time
was the fiancé to Debono’s niece. Albert Buttigieg acted as director of Luzzu
Catering, the operator of the Capo Mulini restaurant.
Onda Blu restaurant in Pietà, according to Facebook photos,
was staffed by former Porticello head waiters, as well as Sultana’s fiancé.
Silver Horse ‘by Sonni’, a popular bar on Strait Street,
carries the nickname ‘Sonni’ of Valletta FC’s vice-president Alexander Fenech.
But in June 2020, the bar entered into a ‘platinum’ sponsorship agreement for
Valletta FC: the promotional photo included Fenech alongside Darren Debono and
Jeffrey Chetcuti – who faces money laundering charges together with Debono –
Valletta FC president Victor Sciriha and Valletta property entrepreneur Adrian
Imbroll.
In a statement sent to the media, Valletta FC said:
"Valletta FC and it's officials refute any inference of their involvement
in the operations of ‘Silver Horse by Sonni’ and affirm without reservations
that they neither hold, nor have they ever held, any commercial interest in the
operations of ‘Silver Horse by Sonni’. Valletta FC and it’s officials
disassociate themselves completely from the actions being alleged in such
articles."
Porticello restaurant was renamed after its forebear
Scoglitti was blacklisted by the US Treasury Department. The Office of Foreign
Asset Control (OFAC) later updated its sanctions list to reflect a change in
the name of the blacklisted Maltese restaurant, which belonged to former
national footballer and alleged fuel smuggler Darren Debono, and was
blacklisted by the US back in February.
Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech confirmed a freezing
order on all assets of the accused whilst also confirming an earlier order by
the Criminal Court allowing the targeted restaurants to continue to operate
under supervision while the freezing order remains in place.
The court also appointed an IT expert to analyse the devices
for information relevant to the charges. Lawyers Stefano Filletti and Martina
Cuschieri are defence counsel. Inspectors Joseph Xerri, James Turner and Omar
Caruana are prosecuting, assisted by AG lawyers Antoine Agius Bonnici and
Cinzia Azzopardi Alamango.
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