The court yesterday heard how a man from Zabbar paid 71-year-old Saveria Sinagra Lm600 in order to obtain an invalidity pension.

Joseph Demicoli was testifying in the compilation of evidence of Ms Sinagra, from Zejtun, who is charged with accepting bribes and bribing a public official to obtain invalidity pensions for other people.

In his testimony, Mr Demicoli told the court, presided over by magistrate Edwina Grima, how he spoke to Ms Sinagra in the main square of Zejtun four months after she was recommended to him by some friends.

Mr Demicoli said that Ms Sinagra had asked him for Lm600 which, in turn, she would pass on to doctors who would issue an invalidity certificate.

He told the court she told him to speak to a man “who works in Valletta close to where the open market used to be,” and added that he spoke twice to the “man with a strange English surname of a medium build and who wore glasses”.

In his testimony, Mr Demicoli said that he went for an interview but was not called inside, and as a result, decided to leave because he thought he was going to get into trouble.

Eventually, Mr Demicoli said that he obtained his invalidity pension after meeting once again the “man with a strange name”.

Police Sergeant Ivan Cilia from the Economic Crimes Unit testified that the police found a number of CVs, social security application forms and traffic summons belonging to third parties at the woman’s house.

Another witness, Reno Muscat, from Zejtun told the court that Ms Sinagra used to read out his correspondence as he is illiterate. He stated that Ms Sinagra never asked him for money, however, he did give her Lm20 in tips as a gift for her services.

Police Inspector Angelo Gafà prosecuted while Dr Raphael Fenech Adami appeared for the accused.