Police are waiting for legal advice about Fantasy Tours.

The Police have concluded their investigations into the Fantasy Tours saga and are now awaiting legal advice from the Attorney General’s office on whether to institute criminal proceedings against the management, sources have told The Sunday Times of Malta.

They said a team of people from the Attorney General’s office was currently analysing documents before determining whether, in their view, there was sufficient evidence to take action.

One of the possible charges that could be levelled against the company’s management, particularly director, shareholder and owner Karl Azzopardi, is misappropriation – money taken from somebody and used for something other than that agreed upon.

The probe was launched at the beginning of August, when Golden Travel Club Limited, operators of Fantasy Tours, cancelled almost €400,000 worth of vacations.

More than 250 reports were filed at various police stations by angry clients claiming the travel agency had taken their money for booked holidays which fell through.

The same day the clients were informed by SMS about their cancelled holidays, the company filed a suit asking the First Hall of the Civil Court to dissolve the company on the basis of bankruptcy since it could not repay its debts.

During a sitting last week, Mr Azzopardi told the court that his company, which was already in the red, began to nosedive when the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority issued a warning in November last year, literally killing off his business.

Mr Azzopardi got a telling off from the presiding judge, Joseph Zammit McKeon, who asked him why he had continued to take people’s money if he knew the company was operating at a loss.

Mr Azzopardi said that he had to continue paying his suppliers and was hoping to turn things round.

Mr Azzopardi could also be liable under the Companies Act, the sources said.

Mr Azzopardi told his clients who had filed a judicial letter against him that he was not to be held personally responsible for the debt incurred by Golden Travel Company Limited and that any claims for refunds should be made to the company’s liquidator.

It is not clear how long it will take lawyers from the AG’s office to complete the process but sources said the police files included a large number of documents.

mxuereb@timesofmalta.com