Eduardo Navas Rios, a 30-year-old Panamanian who lives in Qawra, was today jailed four years and six months and fined 10,000 euros after jurors found guilty of money laundering with six votes against three.

Mr Navas Rios was also found guilt of theft with seven votes against two but not guilty of the illegal possession of a firearm (eight votes against one)

At the start of the trial, prosecuting lawyer Lara Lanfranco told the court that an estimated €349,500 had been transferred from Malta to Panama, sparking an investigation.

She said a woman, Simone Sciberras, who later turned out to be Mr Rios’ girlfriend, also became involved after she had €65,240 deposited into her bank account without any credible story as to how she came across such a large sum.

Of the total amount of money laundered the accused is responsible for some €50,000, the prose-cution believes.

After the jurors delivered their verdict, the lawyers agreed that the law did not prescribe a minimum punishment.

The maximum he could be given was a 2.3 million euro fine and 14 years imprisonment.