Hotel cleaners acquitted of stealing cash from Russian tourists

A court presided by Magistrate Audrey Demicoli acquitted Emanuela Camilleri, 39 from Swieqi,  and Kirsten Camilleri, 24, residing in Gzira, from charges of theft of cash from a room in a hotel in St Paul's Bay on August 15, 2011.

The accused were charged of stealing money whilst cleaning the rooms occupied by Russian Omeros Karapetyan and his wife Arpime. The Russian had claimed that when he returned to his room from the reception he found the two women cleaning their room. He immediately went to check his bedside drawer and found around €650 in cash missing. This was confirmed in the wife's witnessing.

Hotel manager Ronald Azzopardi and Housekeeper Rita Xuereb told the court that when the Russians informed the reception of the missing money, the russian translator had stated that the amount in question was first reported as €100 then €400 and subsequently the Russians claimed that the amount was €650.

The court questioned the credibility of the Russian witnesses as they changed the amount repeatedly. The court also held that no person had actually seen the accused near the bedside table and if the accused had the intent of stealing they would have closed the door of the room, however this was left open.

Magistrate Demicolli stated that the prosecution did not prove the case beyond reasonable doubt and acquitted the accused.