Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1433519
4 NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 1 DECEMBER 2021 NEWS MATTHEW AGIUS ONCE dirty money is introduced to the island, it remains a problem for the jurisdiction, the chairman of Malta's Sanctions Monitoring Board told a court yesterday. Neville Aquilina, chairman of the Sanctions Monitoring Board, exhibited three United Nations reports to the court compiling evidence against Pierre-Paul Debono, former director of World Water Fisheries. Not only is the accused men- tioned in the reports, but a good number of others, said the wit- ness. The UN panel of experts says that ships and Maltese companies are also involved in the smuggling of Libyan resources in violation of UN sanctions. Pierre-Paul Debono is pleading not guilty to charges of laundering money between 2014 and 2016 when he had temporarily held the post of director in his broth- er Darren Debono's company, World Water Fisheries. He also denies knowingly or neg- ligently making false declarations to auditors, destroying, altering or falsifying documents and breach- ing laws. Debono's brother is former Mal- ta international footballer Darren Debono, who also stands charged with fuel smuggling and money laundering in separate proceed- ings. "These are reports compiled by a panel of experts by the UN," Aquilina told magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras on Tuesday. Giv- ing a brief overview of the UN framework, he explained that the security council gives orders to member nations, and can order military action or further sanc- tions in default. The UN sanctions committee uses a panel of 8 ex- perts to see that sanctions are be- ing implemented. The court was told how former US President Barack Obama had issued an executive order in 2016, prohibiting Americans from en- gaging with those targeted by UN sanctions and freezing any related property under US juris- dictions. The sanctions targeted people from Libya, Malta and Egypt for "involvement in the smuggling of petroleum products from Libya to Europe." A relevant section of one 2016 report reads: "The fuel smuggled from Zu- warah comes from the Zawiyah refinery, which refines crude oil received from other Libyan termi- nals. Zawiyah also receives refined products from abroad that are stored there. Fuel is then distrib- uted to suppliers in the surround- ing area, but significant quantities are also sold to smugglers. "The ships smuggling fuel sail south from Malta to between 40 and 60 nautical miles off the Lib- yan coast, where they turn off the Automated Identification System. After they are loaded, they return to Malta. The vessels remain adrift at least 12 nautical miles off the coast, outside Maltese territorial waters, while they discharge the fuel onto other vessels that carry it to the coast." Once dirty money is introduced to the island, it remains a problem for the jurisdiction, Aquilina said. Cross-examined by defence counsel, lawyer Franco Debono, the witness was asked whether Pierre-Paul Debono was men- tioned in the documents. "I don't know about [Pierre-Paul] Debono, but companies ADJ trad- ing, World Water Fisheries, are amongst those mentioned." The witness was unable to say wheth- er Pierre-Paul Debono was men- tioned by name but confirmed that Darren Debono, his brother, was. Debono asked the witness di- rectly what the punishment for breaching sanctions was. "I don't think a country can fail to imple- ment UN sanctions," Aquilina re- plied. During Pierre-Paul Debono's arraignment, a request for a freez- ing order was withdrawn by the prosecution, in a move praised by the defence for its "sense of justice and practicality." The case continues in January. Lawyers Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri are defence counsel. Inspectors Joseph Xerri, James Turner and Omar Caruana are prosecuting, assisted by AG law- yers Cinzia Azzopardi Alamango and Antoine Agius Bonnici. Libya fuel smuggling: 'Dirty money remains a problem' The port of Tripoli, Libya, is subject to prohibitions related to arms and military material MATTHEW VELLA MALTA'S two police unions are up in arms over deteriorating working conditions in the police force, with one of them going as far as registering an industrial dispute. The Malta Police Union regis- tered an industrial dispute claim- ing working conditions have been "implemented without any consultation" and this will have a negative effect on officers and drain manpower from districts. The MPU denounced the "situation of disappointment, demotivation and great uncer- tainty", claiming the force was being "administered from an of- fice through a computer". "The union is being inundated with complaints from its members regarding the inhumane work- ing situation in various branch- es, mostly districts. They are struggling to keep up their daily commitments, in times when the usual commitments are non-ex- istent," the MPU said. Fearing a return to 'normal' lev- els of operation after the lifting of COVID-19 measures, the MPU said with overtime now reduced to cover mainly fixed point secu- rity, district sergeants are being instructed to man fixed points. "Our districts are not equipped to handle a major accident where a large number of officers are re- quired to intervene," the union said. "Administrative duties are increasing drastically, with de- mands and instructions from the same administration to maintain attractive statistical numbers, which might give a picture that everything is ok to the general public, when in fact it's not." Similarly, the Police Officers Union, a branch of the GWU, said the administration was not appreciative of the work done by police officers and implemented several changes without consul- tation. POU spokesperson Roderick Psaila said the union called for an urgent meeting with Police Commissioner Angelo Gafà so that certain decisions that are negatively impacting officers, both physically and mentally, are revised. "Despite the fact that district police are on the frontline of every criminal act that gets re- ported, they remain one of a few branches within the force not to have a special allowance that special branches receive. Police district officers need respect," the POU said. Police unions up in arms over 'deteriorating' working conditions of district officers