Oil commission money used to be exchanged during lunch meetings, the court heard this morning.

Testifying in the compilation of evidence against former Enemalta chairman Tancred Tabone, who stands charged with taking commissions from oil purchases, assistant commissioner Michael Cassar said Mr Tabone had asked oil trader George Farrugia not to give any money to Tarcisio Mifsud.

Mr Farrugia said that Trafigura knew about kickbacks and petrochemist Frank Sammut, the former chairman of MOBC, got kickbacks directly from the company.

Mr Cassar said Mr Farrugia also declared that the directors of Intershore Fiduciary limited who held the directorship of Aikon Limited, did not have anything to do with the issuing of invoices to Trafigura for consultancy services and neither did they know did they know about the bank accounts in Switzerland where he deposited the commissions.

Mr Tabone would invite them to lunch meetings and it was there that money was exchanged.

In one such instance, Mr Farrugia met Mr Tabone in Geneva, withdrew some $20,000, and the money was exchanged at the President Wilson Hotel.

The money was usually paid in cash but there were also two instances when cheques were paid. The last payment was made at the restaurant Tana del Lupo in Paceville. Payments were made right up until Mr Tabone’s chairmanship ended and even after he was no longer chairman, Mr Tabone still had power at Enemalta.

Mr Cassar said that the police had spoken to Minister Austin Gatt about Mr Sammut's termination and the minister said that Mr Sammut had asked for early retirement from MOBC and received a golden handshake.

This was approved by the board. He said that it was not correct for Mr Sammut to have received payment on early retirement to be then appointed consultant.

Mr Tabone was placed under a bill of indictment.