Gozo pensioner convicted of fraud

A pensioner from Victoria, in Gozo, has been ordered to perform 100 hours of community work and pay over €4,000 in damages to a Gozitan couple, after a court found that he was pocketing money they had entrusted him with investing. 

62-year-old Victor Camilleri had been accused of fraud, misappropriation, making a false declaration to a public authority as well as the falsification of several documents.

Police investigated a report alleging that in the three years between 2001 and 2003, he had misappropriated £7,400 from the couple who had requested he transfer the money between two UK banks. The investigation concluded that Camilleri had held on to the money, by falsifiying a number of documents and forging various signatures.

Before the Court of Magistrates in Gozo, Camilleri exercised his right to silence and did not attempt to explain what had become of the money. His victim later testified to him having begun to reimburse them, but that an amount remained outstanding.

Deciding the case, magistrate Joe Mifsud held that the interests of society would be better served if the accused were to be allowed to continue to return his ill-gotten gains, than if he were to be jailed.

Camilleri was placed under a community service order and ordered to perform 100 hours of unpaid work in the community. The court also ordered him to pay  €4,094 in damages to the couple.