A 35-year-old woman from Pietà was arraigned in court and accused of stealing various items from the PAVI supermarket in Qormi and defrauding several people in connection with deposits of lease agreements.
Amanda Borg Manduca was charged with theft, misappropriation and obtaining money or property by false pretences.
The prosecution alleged that she retained security deposits paid by several third-country nationals under lease contracts. She was also charged with refusing to provide information, or providing false information, to police officers in the course of their duties.
Defence lawyer Jose Herrera requested bail, arguing that Borg Manduca had been "led astray" after allegedly being kidnapped and held against her will by a man for almost two months. This man introduced her to the drug known as "monkey", regularly assaulted and abused her, and coerced her into committing the alleged offences.
The street drug known as "monkey", also referred to as "Monkey Dust", is a highly dangerous synthetic stimulant, which causes terrifying and unpredictable side effects.
The defence added that the police were treating the allegations seriously and had launched an ongoing investigation into the claims.
However, the prosecution objected to the bail request, arguing that no evidence relating to the allegations had yet been produced in court and that the accused's release could prejudice the ongoing investigation.
The court upheld the prosecution's objection and denied Borg Manduca bail. However, it recommended that the Director of the Corradino Correctional Facility take into account her apparent vulnerability, psychological distress and physical condition when deciding where she should be accommodated.
The court specifically recommended that she be housed in a section of the female division where she would be less vulnerable to bullying by other inmates.
Inspectors Roderick Attard and John Sammut prosecuted. The woman was represented by defence lawyer Jose Herrera. Magistrate Yana Micallef Stafrace presided over the arraignment