‘They told me I’d be living in a hotel but I ended up in a brothel’ - Colombian woman tells court as human trafficking case continues

One of several women allegedly trafficked from Colombia to Malta to work in the sex industry has told a court that she had been expecting to work at a hotel and that, after the brothel was raided, her mother had been intimidated in Colombia.

Four Colombian women were cross-examined on Wednesday on their account of how they had ended up working in the sex trade in Malta.
The women testified before magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech as the compilation of evidence continued against Luke Farrugia, Clint D'Amato, Denzil Farrugia, Kane Vassallo, Gordon Cassar, Dylan McKay, Luca Corito, Nicolae Efimov, and Alexandra Pocora, who are facing charges relating to human trafficking, money laundering, and criminal organisation.

From the stand, one witness identified D’Amato, whom she said she knew as ‘Andreas,’ and Luke Farrugia as one of her clients who went by the name ‘Tyson.’ She added that she had been present in the apartment when Farrugia had paid another Colombian girl, who later left Malta, for sex.

One of the women had told the magisterial inquiry that her mother had received threatening phone calls - one from Colombia and another from Malta, during which the callers had ordered her to tell her daughter not to speak to the police and to feign ignorance if asked who her pimp was.

In her testimony today, the woman said that her mother had also received a visit from the girl who had put her in contact with the Maltese organisation at her home. The girl had told the mother that nothing was going to happen to her daughter and that she would get her money back, but that it was important that she didn’t talk to the police. The witness said her mother had subsequently warned her to keep her mouth shut.

Besides having never been paid for her work, she said that she had been subjected to verbal abuse, and recalled being called a “stupid bitch who came to Malta just to satisfy men.” 

She said that she had been misled into believing that she would be staying at a hotel “but instead I ended up living in a brothel.” 

The case will continue in September.

The prosecution is being led by Inspectors John Spiteri, Joseph Xerri and Dorianne Tabone together with Lawyers Ramon Bonett Sladden and Charmaine Abdilla from the Office of the Attorney General.

Lawyers Franco Debono, Marion Camilleri, Adreana Zammit, Mario Mifsud, Nicholas Mifsud, Charles Mercieca, Roberto Montalto, Joe Giglio, Michaela Giglio and Kathleen Calleja Grima are appearing for the accused while Lawyer Lara Dimitrijevic is appearing for the victims.