Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1540142
7 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 8 OCTOBER 2025 COURT Couple charged after falsifying money; man faces separate domestic violence charges A couple was arraigned in court and charged with forgery of cur- rency, creating and making use of counterfeit money and pos- sessing instruments used for the counterfeiting or altering of cur- rency. Charges against the man also included causing his ex-partner slight injuries and causing her to fear that violence would be used against her. Police were investigating the use of fake money which led to the arrest of two individuals, the accused and his partner. A search was carried out at their residence, which revealed that the two were producing coun- terfeit money for their own use. Upon arrest, the woman claimed she was terrified of her partner and alleged that he had forced her to use the counterfeit money. She filed a domestic vio- lence report, alleging slight inju- ries. A risk assessment revealed a re- sult of 26, which was classified as high risk. The defence requested bail, but the prosecution objected, arguing that the case involves very serious accusations and that the alleged victim has not yet testified. The prosecution further stated that the accused does not have a fixed address since he and the alleged victim live together. The defence argued that key ev- idence, including a printer, coun- terfeit notes, and video footage allegedly showing the fake cur- rency being used in shops had al- ready been recovered and was in police custody. As such, the defence maintained that there was no risk of evidence tampering. Addressing the issue of resi- dence, the defence stated that the accused would now be residing at an alternative address with his mother. Defence lawyer George Anton Buttigieg further remarked that, upon recognising the name of the accused's partner, the man was alarmed, noting that he had encountered her in previous cas- es and that, in his experience, "everyone who gets involved with her ends up being accused." He argued that the domestic violence report was clearly made out of spite. In response to the high-risk assessment, the de- fence lawyer contended that the woman is well-versed in how to answer such questions in a way that inevitably leads to a high-risk classification. "This is not a gen- uine high-risk case," he asserted. The defence concluded that the court has every possible means to ensure that there is no contact between the accused and the al- leged victim. The court denied the man bail and issued a protection order in favour of the woman. Alleged victim also charged and sentenced Meanwhile, the woman was al- so charged with forgery of cur- rency, creating and making use of counterfeit money and with possession of tools used for the counterfeiting or altering of cur- rency. She pleaded guilty. In light of the very early admis- sion, the prosecution maintained the woman should be handed a suspended sentence in its max- imum. The legal aid lawyer held that the woman has a sev- en-month-old baby and should be given a minimum suspended sentence. Duty magistrate Charmaine Galea handed the woman a four-year prison sentence sus- pended for two years. Inspectors Kurt Farrugia and Antonello Magri and AG law- yer Alessia Schembri prosecut- ed. Defence lawyer George An- ton Buttigieg appeared for the man. Magistrate Charmaine Galea presided over the sitting. MAYA GALEA mgalea@mediatoday.com.mt Police were investigating the use of fake money which led to the arrest of two individuals Former director found guilty of misappropriating over €21,000 in VAT IN a case dating back nearly two decades, the court found Mau- rice Galea, former director of In-Laws Limited, guilty of mis- appropriating VAT funds, in the amount of €21,861.45. The offence occurred be- tween September 2006 and February 2010. Galea, in his role as compa- ny director, failed to pay VAT dues, thereby misappropriating funds that had been entrusted to him for a specific purpose. During Tuesday's sitting, Galea admitted to the charges brought against him. The court warned the accused of the legal consequences of his guilty plea and granted time for reconsid- eration. Galea maintained his admission. The court weighed several factors when determining the sentence including the nature of the crime, the voluntary plea of guilt, the accused's criminal record. The significant delay in proceedings, almost 20 years, was also taken into considera- tion. The court found this delay not attributable to the accused. Galea was sentenced to two years of imprisonment, sus- pended for three years. The court made it clear that com- mitting any further criminal offence during the operational period of the suspended sen- tence would have serious con- sequences. Furthermore, Galea was or- dered to reimburse the full amount of €21,861.45 to the Commissioner for Tax and Customs within a period of three years from the date of judgment. The case was presided over by Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech.