Three men have been charged in connection with alleged multi-million-pound money laundering, fraud and false accounting offences.

Edward Watkin Gittins, aged 75, of Ballavale Road, Santon, is charged with eight counts of theft, three counts of false accounting, three counts of converting criminal property, three counts of transferring criminal property, one count of fraud by abuse of position, and one count of carrying on a regulated activity not in accordance with a licence.

Paul Garrett, aged 64, of Station Road, St John’s, is charged with five counts of theft and two counts of converting criminal property.

The allegations against Mr Gittins and Mr Garrett are said to relate to a period between 2012 and 2019.

Nigel Graeme Kneale, aged 58, of Windermere Avenue, Onchan, is accused of four counts of theft. The allegations against him relate to a period between 2010 and 2014.

All three appeared before magistrates recently.

Mr Gittins chose to represent himself, while Mr Garrett and Mr Kneale were represented by advocates Laurence Vaughan-Williams and Darren Taubitz respectively.

Prosecuting advocate Kate Alexander asked for the case to be committed to the Court of General Gaol Delivery, describing the allegations as complex matters of fraud and false accounting involving sums of money running into multiple millions of pounds.

Ms Alexander told the court that committal papers had not yet been served but would be within the next week or two.

Mr Taubitz said he was only holding the papers on behalf of Mr Kneale and would not be representing him going forward.

Magistrates declined jurisdiction, and the case will be committed to the higher court on November 20.

Bail was granted for all three defendants in the sum of £500, with conditions that they reside at their home addresses and do not leave the island without court consent.