Construction company worker denies stealing €25,000 from employer

The alleged theft of €25,000 in cash and cheques from a construction company landed one of its employees behind bars on Wednesday. 

47-year-old St. Paul’s Bay resident Jacob Nori from Libya was arraigned before magistrate Giannella Camilleri Busuttil, on charges of aggravated theft and handling stolen goods. Nori denied the charges in court today, pleading not guilty.

Inspector Shawn Pawney, prosecuting together with lawyer Tilden Tabone from the Office of the Attorney General, told the court that Nori had been employed as a construction worker with the company which operates in the construction, engineering and hospitality sectors. 

The company director had called the police after seeing security camera footage that had captured Nori allegedly in the act of stealing the cash, cheques and other items from the company’s offices. 

The money was subsequently found at his residence, together with a number of pillowcases which the company also imports and sells, when police had carried out a search. 

Lawyer Adriano Spiteri, defence counsel to Nori, requested bail. He stressed that Nori had a fixed address and that there was no risk of him tampering with evidence.  

In its counter-arguments, the prosecution said that Nori’s criminal record showed that there was a risk that he would commit another similar crime, and of him tampering with evidence, as he was still employed by the company.

The court denied bail, both in view of the defendant’s employment with the company he is accused of robbing, as well as because his girlfriend will be requested to testify.

A prosecution request for a protection order in favour of the company’s three directors was also upheld by the court.

Lawyer Matthew Xuereb is representing the company as parte civile.