Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1311619
7 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 22 NOVEMBER 2020 NEWS DOUBLE GLAZING SCHEME RELAUNCHED AND EXTENDED TO ALL BIRŻEBBUĠA HOUSEHOLDS If you live in Birżebbuġa and would like to benefit from this scheme you can apply on www.rews.org.mt Applications: Open: Monday 7th December, 2020 Close: Friday 31st December, 2021 *or earlier if funds are exhausted For more information call on 2295 5000 or send an email on enquiry@rews.org.mt KURT SANSONE NOTARIES have been warned by their regulating body to be- ware false documents related to the purchase of a property in St Julian's by a real estate company. The documents are supposed to be public deeds of purchase by the company Axximum In- vestments Ltd. The Notarial Council warned notaries in a communication seen by MaltaToday that the deeds of purchase were "falsely attributed" to be in the records of notary Joseph Abela. Sources within the profes- sion said Abela flagged the is- sue when he became aware that his name was being used on the fraudulent documents. A police investigation is underway. Abela referred MaltaToday to the Notarial Council when con- tacted about the matter. Council president Clinton Bel- lizzi would not comment on the case, insisting the communica- tion was an internal early warn- ing system for notaries. He did confirm that a police in- vestigation is underway. Axximum Investments Ltd is owned by Bernard Attard and Mohab Fahmi. According to the Notarial Council's communication, one of the documents purporting to be deeds of acquisition referred to a particular property in Triq il-Mensija in St Julian's. No such deed of purchase has been registered in the public registry and neither has the Tax Commissioner been notified as required by law. Eyebrows were raised when apartments in the same road started being offered for sale with the sales brochures prom- inently displaying the name of the company. "Please remain cautious and vigilant at all times," the council warned notaries. Attard was last month con- demned by the court to pay a former business partner almost €700,000. The case, instituted by Vladimir Stepanov, was filed against At- tard and his mother Maria The- resa Attard. Stepanov claimed that he had gone to Attard because he was interested in entering the prop- erty market. It appears that Attard convinced Stepanov to also become a partner in a sec- ond-hand car importation busi- ness. The pair set up two joint com- panies and Stepanov claimed that Attard, aided by his mother, misappropriated the funds given to him. Stepanov accused the Attards of making false promises and using falsified documents. Attard acknowledged the wrongdoing in January 2020 and agreed to pay back Stepanov his money. However, the mon- ey was not paid back and last month the court decreed that Attard has to pay Stepanov the sum of €696,210. The judge also ordered that her sentence be communicated to the Police Commissioner for any investigation he may deem fit. Questions sent to the police were not answered by the time of writing. Notaries warned of false documents linked to St Julian's property sales Company owned by businessman ordered to pay back €700,000 to defrauded partner