The court set bail against a personal guarantee of Lm1,000. Police inspector Angelo Caruana prosecuted while Dr Roberto Montalto and Dr Jose Herrera appeared for defence.

Man on usury charges

A Valletta man yesterday appeared in court to answer charges related to loan sharking.

Mario Gauci, 36, pleaded not guilty to illegally lending money and receiving payments from a man on 9 November 2004. He was also accused of relapsing in view of previous convictions.

The court set bail against a personal guarantee of Lm5,000.

Police inspector Joseph Cordina prosecuted while Dr Roberto Montalto and Dr Jose Herrera appeared for the defence.

Jury trial enters final stages

The trial by jury of four men accused of seriously injuring another man in a Bugibba fight three years ago began drawing to a close yesterday as the prosecution rested its case and handed the floor to the defence.

The men – Godwin Vella, 41, David Calleja, 39, Anthony Joseph Portelli, a 31-year-old soldier and Keith Caruana, 26, all from St Paul’s Bay – are being accused of a number of crimes, including seriously injuring Alfred Cardona.

Mr Caruana alone is being charged with the attempted murder of Emanuel Farrugia, while Mr Portelli was allegedly his accomplice. These two men are also being accused of injuring Mr Farrugia slightly.

Since Calleja had been found guilty of seriously injuring another person in 1992, he is also being charged with relapsing in view of previous convictions.

In addition to these charges, Mr Caruana is being accused of resisting arrest while Mr Calleja allegedly refused to obey police orders.

Yesterday’s sitting began with the prosecution, led by Senior Counsel to the Republic Mark Said, going through the statements of the accused and the police.

This went on till the court broke for afternoon recess after Dr Said rested the prosecution’s case.

Two of the accused have one lawyer representing both of them while two others have their own individual representatives, so the defence stage could take quite some time. Following the defence stage, the court will allow the prosecution and the defence to make their final submissions to the case before the Judge delivers his final address to the jury panel. Yesterday, defence attorney Martin Fenech, who is representing Mr Vella and Mr Calleja, said that it was up to the prosecution to prove its case.

“The onus of proof lies with the prosecution. The prosecution is making allegations against my clients and it is up to it to substantiate its claims,” he said.

Dr Fenech also reminded the jury that if there is any doubt in the case, this should always go in favour of the accused. “Some of the witnesses have changed their versions of events. That is not consistent and credible. That sheds doubts and if there are doubts, they should go in favour of my clients,” he said.

Dr Edward Gatt and Dr Anglu Farrugia are assisting Mr Portelli and Mr Caruana respectively.

The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Joe Galea Debono, continues this morning.

Algerian human trafficking ringleader jailed for three years

An Algerian man was yesterday sentenced to three years imprisonment when a court made an example of him after he was found guilty of organising the passage to Italy from Malta for a number of illegal immigrants.

Ferhat Guellouma was originally charged alongside another man, John Bugeja, who passed away last year.

Guellouma, 50, was accused of trafficking of illegal immigrants on 13 October 2002 and various other occasions.

During proceedings, police inspector Sandro Zarb told the court that a colleague had informed him that nine Tunisians without travel documents were arrested in Qormi. They told police that a certain Ali El Masri had provided them with shelter and was also going to arrange for them to leave Malta illegally. Further investigation established that some of the immigrants had met the accused, who promised them a trip to Italy against payment.

They also told police that Guellouma assured them he had arranged for a boat, piloted by El Masri, to take them to Italy.

In fact, two Tunisians, Karim Zafran and Sami Khalifa, told the court that they had met Guellouma in Paceville and he said he would take them to Italy. One man gave him E790 and the other gave him E800. They were taken to a place in Qormi and gradually more Tunisians were brought to the house. They said they spent from 20 September to 13 October inside the building and had never been out. They said that the total number of Tunisians inside the house was 15.

They said El Masri used to bring the people to the house, telling them they had to wait because the weather was not favourable for a boat journey to Italy. Both men confirmed that it was the deceased John Bugeja who took them to the house in Qormi in his own car – which they described as a delivery style Peugeot 106.

The court, presided over by magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera, said that the accused chose not to testify, but did release a police statement claiming that he had nothing to do with the human trafficking ring.

The court pointed out that in a case such as this, a crime is committed as soon as there is agreement to carry out such a journey. Magistrate Scerri Herrera said there was no need for an attempt to be in progress, mere agreement to take people to another country illegally is regarded as a crime.

The court said it was clear that Guellouma agreed with Bugeja to organise the passage to Italy for several Tunisians. Zafran and Khalifa gave plenty of evidence to substantiate the story, said the magistrate.

The court added that although the accused had a clean criminal record, she still felt she needed to be harsh with him to send a message to society that the Maltese courts will not tolerate trafficking of humans.

The court therefore imprisoned the accused for three years.

Police inspector Sandro Zarb prosecuted.