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4 NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 25 AUGUST 2021 NEWS KURT SANSONE THE Malta Police Union have fol- lowed up on their pushback against the removal of traffic management services within the police force and registered a trade dispute. The union said that its execu- tive committee on Tuesday reg- istered a dispute since its request for the service to continue being offered was completely ignored. The union said that the service was an opportunity for police officers to make extra income during their off days. The ser- vice relates to the presence of police officers to direct traffic in circumstances where roads are closed such as when a crane needs to block a street. "This service is paid by the per- son/entity requesting the service and is only granted when a police officer is available at that date and time requested. Refusing this service in toto does not make any sense as the administration of the force does not know for when this service will be requested," the union said. They also stated that the pan- demic is serving as a convenient excuse for the administration's inactions with regards to the traf- fic management service, follow- ing the 'first excuse' that the ser- vice is degrading to the officers. Meanwhile, in a statement the Nationalist Party said the police force's decision to stop offering such traffic management servic- es would negatively impact the take-home pay of officers. The PN expressed solidarity with police officers and called on the force to reverse its decision. Malta Police Union registers trade dispute after force axes traffic management duties MATTHEW AGIUS SEVERAL witnesses have told a court that a man charged with money laundering had cashed cheques for them in a sitting notable for the reluctance of the witnesses to testify. The compilation of evidence against Redent Zammit, 48, Marcia Zammit,46, Chantelle Zammit, 22, Andrew Zammit, 74 and Mary Rose Piscopo, 28 continued before magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech yes- terday morning. The five are accused of money laundering. One of the many witnesses to testify today, plasterer Ghazi Alewi, told the court that he and Redent would lend money to each other. On one occasion, €3500 was loaned and repaid with a €5000 cheque. Alewi said he was given all the change due and denied being charged any money for the service. At this point, the prosecu- tion declared the witness to be hostile, with the court warning him that he was under oath and that there were consequences for him if he did not tell the truth. Alewi replied, saying that he would pay Redent "€10 or €20 as a thank you." He would be paid by cheque, said the wit- ness. While the court was asking him where he would cash the cheque, the witness fainted on the stand and crashed to the ground, hitting his head on the floor, hard. The court suspended his tes- timony and ordered an ambu- lance to be called as court staff sat the man down and gave him water. Another witness, Jason Man- gion, recounted seeing Redent cashing several cheques at Zammit's Qrendi home. Zam- mit would receive €100 to €200 every time, depending on the amount, he said. "He would de- posit them in the machine. His wife would be there sometimes. His wife was scared, but she would go. His wife is Marcia Zammit," said the man. Another witness, Abdul- hamed Checkhari, an interior decorator, told the court that he would be paid by cheque and would sometimes have friends cash them for him at the bank. He recognised Redent Zam- mit, who he said was a friend of a friend. Once Zammit had cashed a cheque of €1000 for him. "My friend Abdul told me to pay him €10." Checkhari was also declared a hostile witness after changing his version of events from that which he had given to the po- lice. Confronted with his dep- osition to the police, he said he would pay Zammit €10. He said he was told to do so by a friend and not by the accsued. Plasterer Allah Ali said he would be paid in cash for his work. "The only cheque I get is from the government. I didn't have an ID card and because of that I gave the cheque to a Maltese man [to cash]." He did not recognise the man in the courtroom. He had met the person in question in Fgu- ra and then went to cash the cheque at BOV he said initial- ly, later changing his version to state that he went to the man's house. The man went to the bank and gave him the money. This had taken place about a year and a half ago, he said. The cheque for over €100. The prosecution also declared Ali a hostile witness and con- fronted him with his statement to the police. He had told the police that he had called the accused him- self and had given him €5 per cheque, €10 in total. Next up on the stand was Mal- colm Balzan who reluctantly pointed out Redent Zammit to the magistrate. "I am not good in these situations. I've been stressing out for a week," he said. From the man's testimony it emerged that Zammit had charged him around 1% as commission. "I gave him a cheque and he gave me money," he said. "How much was it for and how much did you get back?" asked the court. "Nearly everything, be- cause what I gave him I gave him freely." The court said that whether or not he was grateful had no bearing on the case. The prosecution declared Balzan a hostile witness. "Xi cucata kien jehodli," ("He'd only charge a negligible amount") he had told the police. "Around €1 for every €100." Another witness, Dwayne Caruana, told the court that Zammit had a pizza shop in Fgura. Caruana would pay for his pizza with his cheques and be handed change. The accused would not charge him for this service, Caruana claimed. Witness Jennifer Cassar told the court that she had cashed a cheque "once or twice" with the accused and had received the full amount. Several other witnesses also said they would use Redent's services to cash cheques. They denied being charged for the service. Lawyer Ryan Ellul is appear- ing for Marcia Zammit. Lawyer Martha Mifsud is appearing for Piscopo. Lawyer Josette Sul- tana is representing Redent, Chantelle and Andrew Zam- mit. Witnesses tell court man charged with money laundering would cash their cheques