Four men, two Maltese and two Gozitans, were accused yesterday of acting as the pimps of a Romanian woman and of living off the earnings of prostitution.

The men are Josef Camilleri, a 30-year-old shop owner from Gharghur, Clemenzju Zerafa, 56, from Ghajnsielem who said he is a butcher, Ferdinando Veneziani, 27, from Gharghur who said he works as a foreman with a private company and local warden Anthony Muscat, 32, from Munxar.

Before magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera, the men pleaded not guilty to living off immoral earnings and conspiring to bring Leila Cadri to Malta for prostitution. They also denied conspiring to commit a crime and to managing a brothel.

The Gharghur men alone were accused of using two residences – one in Gharghur and one in St Paul’s Bay – and the Gharghur Football Club premises, for prostitution purposes.

The butcher was charged with allowing the use of two residences – including his house – for prostitution purposes. The warden was charged with serving as an accomplice to the crime and to luring the woman into prostitution.

All four men pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them. They were granted bail against a deposit of Lm1,000 and a personal guarantee of Lm3,000. They were also placed under house arrest.

Police Inspectors Raymond Aquilina and Josric Mifsud prosecuted. Dr Joe Giglio, Dr Giannella Caruana Curran, Dr Manwel Mallia and Dr Franco Debono appeared for the accused.