A panel of United Nations experts has confirmed the involvement of Maltese companies in the smuggling of Libyan resources in violation of UN sanctions, the court said.

This was revealed in reports from the United Nations sanctions committee, which were brought to court by the chair of the Malta sanctions monitoring board in proceedings related to an extensive police investigation into international smuggling. of fuel.

The documents were exhibited in the ongoing trial against Pier-Paul Debono, who is pleading not guilty to money laundering activities between 2014 and 2016, when he was temporarily charged with director at World Water Fisheries, a company of his brother Darren. Debono.

He also pleads not guilty to knowingly or negligently making false statements to auditors, destroying, altering or falsifying documents, and violating company laws.

The request for a freezing order, usually submitted by the prosecution in money laundering cases, was, however, withdrawn at the beginning of the proceedings.

Defendant’s brother, Darren, is also charged with money laundering in separate proceedings that began last year.

Taking the place of witnesses earlier this week, Neville Aquilina, chairman of the sanctions monitoring panel, said the UN Security Council had issued orders to member nations and ordered military action. and sanctions in case they fail.

A panel of eight experts was tasked with overseeing the implementation of those sanctions, Aquilina added.

That panel of experts claimed that Maltese companies were involved in the smuggling of Libyan resources in violation of UN sanctions, the court said.

The witness referred to an executive order by former US President Barack Obama in 2016 banning US citizens from engaging in subjects targeted by UN sanctions and freezing any related property under US jurisdiction. .

The sanctions were also targeted at people from Libya, Malta and Egypt allegedly involved in smuggling oil products from Libya to Europe.

And once “dirty money” was introduced to the island, it remained a problem for jurisdiction, Aquilina told the court, presided over by magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras.

Asked by defense attorney Franco Debono if the defendant’s name appears in documents filed in court, the witness said he could not confirm whether Pier-Paul was his name expressly.

However, brother Darren was named as well as ADJ Trading Ltd and World Water Fisheries, the witness said.

The case continues.

Attorneys Debono, Marion Camilleri and Francesca Zarb are defense attorneys.

Inspectors Joseph Xerri, James Turner and Omar Caruana are leading the prosecution, assisted by AG lawyers Cinzia Azzopardi Alamango and Antoine Agius Bonnici.