The criminal court looked into a money laundering case where an Italian restaurateur played "cache-cash" with more than a million euros to evade the tax authorities.

Bank accounts, safe depositories, deposits and cash withdrawals, concealment of goods of illicit origin... After seven years of proceedings, this man with the identity masked by a nickname finally appeared before the Monegasque justice. The system was quite ingenious. This parallel money was illegally transiting between the Principality and the Italian Peninsula, thanks to widely spaced movements of funds and without notifying the authorities. The defendant provided a vague answer. "I have been working with transport activities since 1985. Between 2001 and 2002 I benefited from the tax amnesty proposed by the Italian state if the money was brought back to the country..."

The money remained at his disposal and the laundering mechanism did not appear. Already suspected in his country of origin, the restaurateur hid large sums in Monegasque coffers. It is proposed a fine of 300 euros with a suspended sentence. For the court, the offence is clearly characterized and the defendant is found guilty. But he will stick to the recommendations of the public prosecutor, with a sentence in absentia of 400 euros suspended fine and without additional penalty.