Confectioners charged with money laundering over alleged cheque-cashing service
Couple who offered to cash cheques for their clients against payment released on bail
25 January 2021, 12:52pm
by Matthew Agius
A couple have been charged with money laundering offences after allegedly offering to cash cheques for clients, against payment, at their confectionary.
44-year-old Marsa resident Alan Harmsworth and his wife Josephine, 41, were arraigned under arrest before magistrate Ian Farrugia accused of operating as an unlicensed financial institution or bank in breach of financial services and banking law and also with committing money laundering.
Five police inspectors: Gary Cauchi, Oriana Spiteri, Claire Borg, Keith Mallan and Danilo Francalanza, charged the couple with the offences.
A couple who run a confectionery store in Marsa on Monday faced money laundering charges over claims that they cashed customers’ cheques against commissions of up to €16.
Alan Harmsworth, 44, and his wife Josephine, 41, pleaded not guilty to the charges and were granted bail.
Police investigators say they have spoken to around 25 customers of the store, some of who told them that they were charged between €3 and €16 in commission for each cheque cashed.
An analysis of the couple’s bank account showed that they had deposited several cheques.
The investigation dates back to 2015 and defence lawyer Joe Giglio was quick to point out that at the time, cheques could be issued on an “or order” basis and not just “pay only” as is the case nowadays.