Brian Tonna, Karl Cini and associates released on bail

The court has granted bail to Nexia BT partners Brian Tonna, Karl Cini and Manuel Castagna and their employee Katrin Bondin Carter, after a sitting in which various police officers testified.

The accused have all pleaded not guilty to charges of money laundering.

Tonna and Cini were granted bail against a deposit of €60,000 each and a personal guarantee of €90,000. They cannot go overseas and have to sign the bail book daily at the police station. The other accused were handed down slightly less onerous bail conditions.

When the compilation of evidence against them continued yesterday, the court heard the testimony of a number of police officers involved in the searches and arrests.

Defence lawyers argued that the evidence against their clients was documentary and this had been collected and presented, which meant there was no risk of tampering. The prosecution led by the Attorney General’s office insisted investigations were progressing well but had not yet concluded.

In September 2020, Tonna and Cini lost their warrants to practice as accountants after the regulatory authority initiated disciplinary proceedings against them. The board also suspended the registration of Nexia BT, BTI Management Limited and Nexia BT Advisory Services Limited.

The court had already imposed a wide-ranging freezing order on Tonna and Cini, their companies and linked business associates.

The prosecutions are linked to two magisterial inquiries initiated on a request by former Opposition leader Simon Busuttil. The first concerns allegations of kickbacks between Tonna and former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri from the sale of citizenship to Russian nationals.

The second inquiry concerns allegations that Schembri paid backhanders to Adrian Hillman and Vince Buhagiar, former managing directors at Allied Newspapers over the purchase of printing machinery by Progress Press.

Schembri and other business associates of his from the Kasco Group were granted bail on Monday and released yesterday.

Lawyer Stephen Tonna Lowell is appearing for Tonna and Cini, while Michael Sciriha and Matthew Xuereb are appearing for Castagna. Lawyer Franco Debono is appearing for Katrin Bondin Carter.

Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech is presiding.