Five Brothers Of Oil Trader George Farrugia Acquitted In Oil Scandal Case

The five brothers of rogue oil trader George Farrugia have been acquitted of complicity in the oil procurement scandal that dominated Malta’s political landscape ahead of the 2013 general election.

Times of Malta reported the judgment delivered by Magistrate Yana Micallef Stafrace, clears the brothers of all charges and revokes the freezing order that had been imposed on their assets since 2015.

George Farrugia, who was granted a presidential pardon in 2013 in exchange for turning state witness, had alleged that he paid commissions and kickbacks to people connected with Enemalta’s fuel procurement process with the knowledge and approval of his brothers.

However, throughout the proceedings, the brothers maintained that Farrugia had acted behind their backs and that they were unaware of any illicit payments.

The court accepted their version of events, finding there was insufficient evidence to prove they knew about the bribery scheme or the operations of Aikon Ltd, a company George Farrugia admitted creating without informing them.

In her judgment, the magistrate also questioned the reliability of George Farrugia’s testimony, describing parts of it as “selective” and finding his claims that his brothers had approved the payments were “not credible.”

The oil procurement scandal became one of the defining issues of Malta’s 2013 general election after George Farrugia’s revelations, with allegations of kickbacks involving Enemalta’s fuel procurement process.

Cover photo via TVM

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Charlene Galea

Lovin Malta’s Content Manager, Charlene is a massive Swiftie obsessed with animals, scrolling and travelling. If she’s in the country for more than a day, you can find her reading on @onlyforthebooks