Yorgen Fenech lawyers object to money laundering charges as evidence

No one was contesting Yorgen Fenech’s presumption of innocence by requesting a copy of the money laundering charges against the businessman as evidence in constitutional proceedings where he was challenging the repeated denial of bail, a court heard on Friday. That request by the State Advocate as respondent in the case sparked objections by Fenech’s lawyers who argued that every prior factor concerning the businessman’s character had been “crystallized” in his criminal record presented in the murder compilation. “And it was untainted!” added lawyer Charles Mercieca. But State Advocate Chris Soler explained that the money laundering charges had emerged at a later stage, pending these proceedings concerning the bail issue and Fenech’s alleged breach of rights.    Such additional information did not only shed light upon Fenech’s character but was also closely tied to the relevant factors mentioned in the Criminal Code provision on bail which was the crux of these constitutional case, argued Soler. But Mercieca rebutted that proceedings before the First Hall, Civil Court in its constitutional jurisdiction were intended precisely to safeguard fundamental human rights. “Let’s not...