A company director has been cleared of making use of false Customs' documents when he exported mobile phones to Libya in 2006.
Adrian Agius - who was also a former director at More Supermarket (Hamrun) that recently closed following financial problems - was charged with using the false documents as one of the directors of Ter Nova Company Limited. He was cleared on lack of evidence about the authenticity of the stamps.
Mr Agius was originally charged with his father Raymond Agius who was murdered in April 2008 outside Butterfly Bar in Birkirkara.
Raymond Agius - a 49-year-old car dealer involved in other businesses - was shot in the head by two men wearing helmets who entered the bar. He was also a director of Ter Nova.
Father and son had been charged with making use of forged Customs' documents. Magistrate Tonio Micallef Trigona noted that the prosecution based its case on the facts that the stamps found on the Agius' merchandise were not the ones being used by Customs' at the time and that the signatures on the documents did not belong to any of the Customs' officers on duty that day.
The signature showed the surname Micallef and it turned out that there was a Frans Micallef who worked at Customs.
The More Supermarket Ħamrun outlet, which owed €250,000 in unpaid rent, was forced to close last year when its electricity supply was cut off because of pending bills.
The outlet was part of a supermarket chain belonging to D More Holdings Ltd. The chain used to be partly owned by Ryan Schembri, a meat importer who fled the country owing millions after being threatened by loan sharks. News of Mr Schembri's absconding had been followed by rumours that Mr Agius also fled the island but these were immediately denied by Mr Agius who said, on social media, that he was abroad on business and who then returned to Malta - and was present in court for the decision handed down by Magistrate Micallef Trigona.
Police Inspector Angelo Gafa prosecuted while lawyers Franco Debono, Marion Camilleri and Angie Muscat appeared for Mr Agius.