Police investigation into mileage fraud still ongoing

The police are still investigating alleged odometer fraud by importers of Japanese cars, a spokesperson has said.

In an exclusive report, MaltaToday had revealed how hundreds of consumers were sold second-hand Japanese cars with tampered mileage gauges, in a racket involving at least two car dealerships - Rokku Autodealer of Għaxaq and Tal-Qasab Autosales of Qormi.

Research by this newspaper showed discrepancies ranging from 30,000km to 130,000km between the original mileage and the one registered in Malta.

Scores of customers have since reached out to this newspaper with details as to how they were defrauded when buying second-hand cars.

Last week, consumer rights minister Julia Farrugia Portelli said more than half of the people who lodged a complaint with the consumer authority, after being duped into buying cars with tampered odometers, have been compensated.

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“Half of the cases who filed a complaint have found a solution with the car dealers who sold them the cars,” she said in an interview on television station Fliving. Farrugia Portelli said 46 out of 82 complaints have reached a settlement with the car dealers. She said the remaining 36 are still being investigated.

Farrugia Portelli remarked that for now, no case has been deferred to the consumer tribunal, as the reconciliation process is still ongoing.

Despite an ongoing investigation by the authorities, sources have said the two are yet to be interrogated by the police.

On Monday, this newspaper reached out to the police for an update on the investigation.

“Kindly note that Police investigations are still ongoing and therefore it’s not prudent to divulge further information,” a spokesperson replied.

Questions on whether auto dealers involved in the alleged racket have been interrogated by the police, and whether the police plan to charge anyone in connection with the case remained unanswered.

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