The Court today continued hearing the compilation of evidence against Tancred Tabone, with Magistrate Anthony Vella hearing how former Enemalta consultant Frank Sammut, admitted at the Police HQ that he was involved in commissions which he took 50/50 with Mr Tabone.

In 2003, Frank Sammut set up four offshore companies in Switzerland, which eventually were registered in the US, Panama and Hong Kong. Tancred Tabone, and two others business men who have been arraigned in separate proceedings were involved in all these companies.

Assistant Commissioner Michael Cassar told the Court that Mr Sammut had told the Police that while acting as a consultant for Tancred Tabone, he received about 240,000 US dollars in commissions from Dutch company Trafigura and Total, and shared the money with the accused. When Frank Sammut was confronted with the accused at the police lock-up, Tabone denied he had taken any commissions and Frank Sammut denied ever borrowing money from Tabone.

AC Cassar continued that it was Frank Sammut who had told him that a Swiss bank account was purposely opened for a deposit of 80,000 US dollars (€62,000) in eight payments for commissions from oil purchases, and the deposits were made by Trafigura.

During the Sammut’s term of office as chief executive of the Mediterranean Oil Bunkering Co. (MOBC) he issued payments including commissions to George Farrugia, for oil sales by Total to MOBC. Sammut told the police he had a share of the commissions and was paid by George Farrugia who bought him a car, passed cash to him, and also deposited money in his bank account. Sammut said Tabone used to receive half the commissions received from Trafigura.

AC Cassar also said that Frank Sammut told the police that he had a meeting at an international fair in London with a Trafigura representative, Tim Waters, who assured him he was prepared to help ensure that Trafigura would make the best offers to Enemalta for oil sales.

From the witness stand the Assistant Commissioner explained that when under arrest, Sammut had admitted he was a silent partner in IBOL between 2002-05. IBOL was owned by Anthony Cassar and Francis Portelli, who have been arraigned on other charges.