Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1521974
16 maltatoday | THURSDAY • 6 JUNE 2024 NEWS MATTHEW AGIUS magius@mediatoday.com.mt SHAUKAT Asad Ali, son of the Pakistani businessman at the centre of the Vitals Glob- al Healthcare scandal, Shaukat Ali Chaudhry, has been charged with money laundering, fraud and organised crime and hit with a multimillion euro seizure and freezing order. Ali appeared in court on Wednesday after travelling to Malta voluntarily in order to be arraigned. Magistrate Leonard Caruana presided over the arraignment, in which Ali did not ap- pear in court under arrest. The defendant, through his lawyer, declared to the court that he had come to court voluntarily and declared himself as notified both on a per- sonal basis and on behalf of Eurasia Ltd and Tunisian companies STE Health Co. and In- corp Sarl. Ali alone was charged with having in the years between 2013 and 2023, been involved in organised crime and participation in the same. He was further accused of bribing for- mer prime minister Joseph Muscat, former OPM Chief of Staff Keith Schembri, former minister Konrad Mizzi, as well as Steward's - previously Vitals' - accountant Christopher Spiteri. He is accused of offences relating to mon- ey laundering, trading in influence, fraud, making fraudulent gain to the detriment of the Government of Malta and conspiracy to commit a crime punishable by prison. Ali and Eurasia Ltd alone were further charged with bribery, false accounting, mis- appropriation, failing to declare relevant income to VAT authorities between 2017- 2020 and making false declarations to VAT and Inland Revenue departments in that period. Ali, who described his occupation as a busi- ness development consultant, replied "abso- lutely not guilty" when asked what he was pleading. Joseph Muscat, too, had used that exact phrase, during his own arraignment last week. The court acceded to the prosecution's re- quest and issued a freezing and seizing order over Assad Shaukat Ali for €22 million and Eurasia for €1.1 million and for €100,000 over Incorp. The Director of the Asset Recovery Bureau was also ordered to investigate, find and list any other assets controlled by the defendants for this purpose. Following the issuing of this order, the de- fence requested the court allow Ali to with- draw an annual sum of up to €21,945 per annum in terms of law. The prosecution asked the court to order Ali not to disclose or share any document submitted in court with the media or on so- cial media. Ali would be required to give ad- vance notice to the court should he intend to leave the Maltese islands for work or leisure and provide a personal guarantee to ensure his observance of those conditions. Ghaznavi said he would be objecting to the request for an order prohibiting the disclo- sure of documents if it only bound the de- fendant and not third parties who are not accredited journalists from making public statements to which the defendant would be prohibited from replying to. With regards to the requested guarantee, the lawyer stressed that Ali had come to court voluntarily. A decree on the requests will be given in chambers, said the magistrate. The case was adjourned to 9am on 21 June. Superintendent Hubert Cini and police Inspector Wayne Rodney Borg will be pros- ecuting, assisted by prosecutors Francesco Refalo, Rebekah Spiteri and Shelby Aquilina. Lawyer Shazoo Ghaznavi and Jessica For- mosa are assisting Ali as defence counsel. Repubblika's lawyer, Jason Azzopardi gave notice to the court that he had filed an appli- cation requesting the NGO be permitted to join the suit as parte civile. VITALS SCANDAL Shaukat Asad Ali accused of bribing public officials Shaukat Asad Ali (right) entering court with his lawyers Shazoo Ghaznavi and Jessica Formosa (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)