The Criminal Court, presided over by Chief Justice Vincent De Gaetano, yesterday ordered the re-arrest of four men charged with living off the earnings of prostitution and for acting as pimps, after the court noted that they should not have been granted bail before the Romanian woman allegedly involved in the case testifies in court.

The men are Josef Camilleri, a 30-year-old shop owner from Gharghur, Clemenzju Zerafa, aged 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 aged 32, from Munxar.

During the arraignment 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 pleaded not guilty to 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.

Chief Justice De Gaetano ordered they be re-arrested and detained at the Corradino Correctional Facility until Ms Cadri has testified.

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.

Meanwhile, earlier yesterday, Gharghur FC filed an application in court saying that it was purely a sporting association. The club said that while it had rented the club bar to the accused, it had immediately terminated the agreement. In addition, it had immediately removed Camilleri from the post of club secretary.

The club said that if the alleged offences did take place, it was without its knowledge and it categorically condemned anyone who made use of the club premises for anything other than sporting matters. However, the club said that the prosecution’s request to revoke all its licences was excessive, because it would mean that the club would no longer exist, to the detriment of the players and the people of Gharghur. It therefore requested the court to take whatever action it deemed necessary, while also safeguarding the existence of the club. It also requested the court to be kept informed of any future developments in the case.

Dr Stefan Grima signed the writ.