Immuno Biotech financial controller denies money laundering

BBC Guernsey's Royal CourtBBC
The trial is being held at Guernsey's Royal Court

The financial controller of a company which sold an unlicensed blood product helped the firm's owner benefit from its sale, a court has heard.

Peter Dawson-Ball, 64, was responsible for Immuno Biotech's accounts, structure and banking, Guernsey's Royal Court heard.

Mr Dawson-Ball, previously of St Martins, Guernsey, denies three charges of money laundering.

Immuno Biotech sold GcMAF from the island.

The court heard the firm was founded by David Noakes, who was jailed for 15 months in November after he admitted manufacturing, supplying and selling an unlicensed medicine, and a money laundering charge.

Mr Dawson-Ball is accused of "facilitating" Noakes in the management and financial control of the company and its proceeds, which were made from the sale of GcMAF between January 2016 and February 2017.

Prosecution advocate Will Giles said Mr Dawson-Ball "knew exactly what he was doing" in helping Noakes control and retain the proceeds of the manufacture, sale and distribution of the blood product.

Immuno Biotech's St Peter Port offices were raided in February 2017 by officers from the UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and Guernsey's health authorities, the court heard.

In January 2015, Noakes's Cambridgeshire laboratory had been raided, leading to a public warning from the medical regulator that GcMAF may pose a significant risk to people's health, the court heard.

In defence, advocate Mark Dunster said he would not contest the legality of GcMAF, but disputed the extent of Mr Dawson-Ball's knowledge at the time of the charges against him.

The trial continues.