Former Progress Press chairman Vince Buhagiar could not explain hundreds of thousands of euro he received from Keith Schembri, telling investigators that those were payments for consultancy services forming part of a “gentlemen’s agreement.”
Buhagiar, who is pleading not guilty to money laundering offences, received amounts over US$134,000, US$105,000 and €50,000 from a Gibraltar-based company, Malmos Ltd, owned by Schembri.
Details were disclosed on Tuesday by Inspector Ian Camilleri from the anti money laundering squad at the Financial Crimes Investigation Department when testifying in the ongoing compilation of evidence against Buhagiar.
Buhagiar, who was granted bail upon being arraigned last month, sat in court as the witness divulged further details about an email traced by police from Schembri to a ‘VB’ concerning a transfer of US$35,000.