The Magistrates’ Court was told today how a British national, who was appointed as an expert to retrieve and examine 300 security tapes from the Casinò di Venezia in Birgu, had decided to leave the island, abandoning the evidence and leaving it in an office at the Casino’s main competitor, the Dragonara.

Jason Holder’s appointment as court expert in 2006 had already raised eyebrows in the case, when he was appointed to look into behavioural issues over three men at gambling tables inside the Casinò di Venezia, when he was an employee at the Dragonara Casino.

Magistrate Miriam Hayman stressed that Holder’s decision to leave Malta and abandon the evidence was “very serious” and merited a thorough investigation, to the point that it is expected that a European Arrest Warrant could be issued against him within the next hours.

Hayman said that she considered Holder’s behaviour as “serious contempt of court” which had the potential of jeopardising the criminal case he was appointed to assist in the investigations.

Court expert Martin Bajada told the court that Holder had telephoned him from the United Kingdom and informed him that he was not returning to Malta. “He told me that he was in Britain, he was unemployed and had just become a single parent,” Bajada said, adding that Holder also said that he had no intention of returning to Malta.

When asked about what happened to the 300 security tapes he was meant to be examining, Holder reportedly told Bajada and Inspector Antonovic Muscat that he had “left them at the Dragonara Casino.”

Magistrate Hayman immediately ordered Inspector Muscat to go personally to the Dragonara Casino with forensic experts to seek the “missing” evidence and to have it photographed and leave it under guard in the place where he finds it. Inspector Muscat is to immediately report his findings.

The court’s concern hinges around the principle on the continuity and responsibility of handling of evidence. The case concerns an Italian national who faces charges of fraud and money laundering to the detriment of the Casinò di Venezia.

Fabio Zulian, 45 of Gallia, Italy was arrested on December 10, 2006 together with another Italian Gaetano Camarazza, and charged with fraud and money laundering. Another man, Slovenian Nevio Barut had pleaded guilty and was jailed in 2007.

Zulian and Camarazza allegedly played at the casino for three consecutive weekends, paying with cheques belonging to a number of Italian banks and stolen bank drafts. In the process the casino claims to have lost up to €200,000.

Camarazza has since committed suicide, and Zulian had fled Malta, only to be brought back by European Arrest Warrant in October 2011.

He is now asking the court to be given bail once more, after claiming to have already forfeited €150,000 after he had previously jumped bail.

His lawyer, Stefano Filletti argued that his client acknowledges to have made a mistake by not returning to Malta for his hearings. “My client did not technically abscond. He was found at his house with his family, and all I am asking the Court is to show clemency and allow him bail under strict conditions for him to be able to see his children without the need of visiting him in prison,” he said.

A decision by Magistrate Hayman is expected in camera.

For more on this story go to:

http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdetails/news/national/Court-expert-faces-arrest-after-fleeing-Malta-contaminates-evidence-20120724

Footnote iNews:

Zulian claimed to be the Chairman of F.Z. Private Banking, registered in the Cayman Islands.

There is no information about F.Z. Private Bank of the Cayman Islands even though it is listed on “Facebook”. On Linkedin Fabio Zulian di Gallia is listed as the owner.