Another Romanian woman believed to be a human trafficking victim, Mariaca Daresco, today testified through video conferencing in court against alleged trafficker Romanian national Alexandru Onofrei. She said she met clients at a hotel near Dragonara Casino in St Julian’s and clients paid €300 for half an hour sex and for joining them to dinner beforehand.

The alleged trafficker kept the money she earned through prostitution, she claimed, but added that he bought food for her and provided her with cigarettes.

Onofrei, 26, who sports a tattoo on his face, is pleading not guilty to trafficking two women, Pilaf Anisoara and Ms Daresco, forcing them into prostitution, holding them against their will, living off the earnings of the prostitutes, and running a brothel. He was remanded in custody.

It is understood that Ms Daresco’s flat mate, Ms Anisoara, called the police on Sunday after the accused allegedly beat her. She said that she was very drunk. Ms Daresco said that she told the police that he hit her and wanted her to prostitute herself.

Earlier this week, Ms Anisoara and her daughter testified in court.

It also emerged today that Ms Daresco’s picture was uploaded on the escort -europe.com website by Onofrei without her knowing.

“He had hit me and nearly pulled my hair out in order to take the photo of me but never said what he would do with the photo,” she told Magistrate Ian Farrugia.

The other victim, Pilaf Anisoara told a court earlier this week that clients would pay €80 for half an hour and most of the time met client in a San Gwann apartment.

She said that meetings used to take place for sexual purposes in the apartment. The three, including the daughter of one of the victims, who was oblivious to what was happening, lived in a Qormi apartment together. Ms Anisoara said clients used to call her and would get the number from escort-europe.com.

Ms Daresco said it is not easy to flee from Onofrei. “He is a dangerous person and I fear he can do something to me in the future once he is out of jail,” she said.

Anyone in my position would believe what Alex says since he does not joke, he is dangerous, she reiterated.

She said that hadn’t she been drunk the night the police came knocking on their door, she would have never told the police what was going on.

Ms Daresco said that at times she used to send her earnings to Alex’s mother. At one time, she also worked at a gentlemen’s club. She was told of the job by another girl who worked at the club.

Asked by Onofrei’s defence lawyer Martin Fenech if it was pole dancing she only engaged in or if she gave other services to men, she replied: “Pole dancing and having a drink with clients.”

When pressed to say if she saw that Onofrei was going to force her into prostitution eventually, she said: “He showed me the profile he created on the escort service website and said that Onofrei told her he needed the money and that as from now on I had no right to take any decisions,” she said.

When told that she was given a mobile phone by Onofrei to reply to clients who got her number from the website, indirectly meant that she accepted to work for him, she said: “No, I did not accept but I had no control over the situation; when he saw he was not getting anywhere with me, the beatings started.”

Prior to the magistrate’s decision to place Orofrei in prison until the case is concluded, Dr Fenech said that Ms Daresco is lying through her nose, as was evident from her body language. He argued that the testimony of both the victims did not corroborate while pointing out that the daughter of one of the victims stated in court that she was always treated well by Alex and that she never saw any acts of prostitution take place.

The prosecution team, led by Inspector Sylvana Briffa, said that if one were to look at the charges, they are serious ones, that of trafficking and prostitution, pointing out that other witnesses still have to testify, including the landlords who rented out the apartments to Alex. She said that the landlords are claiming they were not paid their rent for instance. She said she was fearful that if Orofrei was granted bail, he would abscond. Dr Fenech said that the main witnesses have been heard and therefore his client should be granted bail. “The landlords have no bearings in this case,” he said.