Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1544052
12 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 25 MARCH 2026 NEWS Disgraced notary gets another suspended sentence for misusing clients' funds A former notary has been hand- ed yet another suspended prison sentence after being found guilty of misappropriating funds en- trusted to him by clients due to unregistered property funds. The court heard how Pierre Falzon, 65, acting in his capac- ity as a notary, received various thousands from clients intended for the payment of stamp du- ty, taxes, and the registration of property contracts. However, he failed to fulfil these obligations, with several con- tracts remaining unregistered for years. He was ordered to pay €54,162 back to one of the vic- tims. The court also took into ac- count that this was not the first time Falzon had faced criminal proceedings of a similar nature. In fact, he had previously been handed a suspended sentence in separate proceedings relating to comparable conduct, a factor which weighed on the court's assessment of his credibility and conduct over time. Falzon has since been banned from practising as a notary. He had previously left Malta and gone to Spain in 2011, where he was arrested on the basis of a Eu- ropean Arrest Warrant and sub- sequently extradited to Malta. Evidence presented showed that numerous clients only became aware of the situation after con- ducting their own checks with the Public Registry, discovering that the contracts had never been registered despite having paid the required fees. In some instanc- es, clients were forced to pay the same taxes again in order to reg- ularise their position. In one particular case involving a family from Mosta, Falzon had received the sum of Lm65,700 (€153,039) in 2007, yet by 2014 the contract still had not been registered. Testimony revealed that Falzon had received thousands of euros across different transactions, of- ten retaining funds that had been specifically entrusted to him for a defined purpose. While some payments were eventually settled and certain contracts were reg- istered, this only occurred after criminal proceedings had already been initiated. Falzon attributed the delays to financial difficulties and personal circumstances, including fami- ly health issues. He also argued that, as a public officer, he should have been charged with a differ- ent offence. The court, however, rejected this argument, holding that the offence of misappropria- tion applies regardless of the ac- cused's status as a notary. The court emphasised that the essential elements of the offence were clearly satisfied, noting that Falzon had received funds under an obligation to use them for spe- cific purposes but failed to do so within the required timeframes. Taking into account that some of the clients were eventually re- paid, as well as the time that had elapsed and the accused's person- al circumstances, the court opted to impose a suspended sentence rather than an effective term of imprisonment. He was therefore sentenced to two years' imprisonment, sus- pended for four years and or- dered to pay €54,162 back to one of the victims. The prosecution was led by In- spector Joseph Abdilla, Magis- trate Ann Marie Thake presided over the sitting. JULIA DOWLING jdowling@mediatoday.com.mt