A businessman suspected of fraud has pleaded not guilty in a Maltese court after being extradited back to the island.

After eight years on the run, More Supermarket’s Ryan Schembri was charged with money laundering and fraud today, with the man pleading not guilty to the charges levelled against him.

In court, defence lawyer Roberto Montalto said his client had always planned on returning to the island, and had only fled due to concerns over his and his family’s safety. Both Montalto and magistrate Charmaine Galea noted that the man needed to be protected during his trial.

The former head of More Supermarket, Schembri reportedly fled the country in 2014 with his wife and son after loan sharks began to circle and even threaten his son, the Times of Malta reported.

When he fled, he left millions in debt, leaving several people, including his own former employees, high and dry. 

Schembri was caught when Scottish police happened to give him a speeding ticket, setting off a chain of events that finally led to him facing justice in a Maltese court.

Schembri is the cousin of former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri.

The chain and its debts have been linked to the murder of Carmel Chircop, a lawyer who was shot dead outside his garage in Birkirkara in October 2015.

Chircop has been confirmed to have fronted Adrian Agius, and his business partner Ryan Schembri around €750,000 which was to be used to fund the More Supermarkets chain that Agius and Schembri were involved in.