Shaukat Asad Ali can stand trial, magistrate rules

The magistrate presiding the compilation of evidence against Shaukat Asad Ali has ruled that there is sufficient evidence to commit him to trial on indictment.

Shaukat Asad Ali stands charged with money laundering, fraud and organised crime. He was hit with a multimillion euro seizure and freezing order.

The defendant is the son of the Pakistani businessman at the centre of the Vitals Global Healthcare scandal, Shaukat Ali Chaudhry.

Magistrate Leonard Caruana handed down two decrees in a brief sitting this morning, the first rejecting the defence’s request that the court withdraw an order that prohibited Ali from making public statements about the ongoing criminal proceedings against him.

The court’s second decree was to declare that there is sufficient prima facie evidence to merit indictment.

The case continues on August 7.

Prosecutors Francesco Refalo, Shelby Aquilina and Rebekah Spiteri are representing the office of the Attorney General, assisting police superintendent Hubert Cini and Inspector Wayne Rodney Borg.

Lawyers Shazoo Ghaznavi and Jessica Formosa are defence counsel.