A case of false identity and Lm40,000 in cash

Italian accountant Luigi Riitano, who is a partner with Wardija lawyer Patrick Spiteri in the company Dolphin Film Productions Limited, denied that he ever turned up at a bank with Lm40,000 in cash as reported by this newspaper last week. But Mr Riitano confirmed that an incident did take place and that somebody had gone to the bank falsely claiming that he was Luigi Riitano.

"It is absolutely false that I ever went to the BOV Bank in Gzira carrying Lm40,000 in cash," Mr Riitano reiterated even though this newspaper had not referred to any particular bank and branch.

MaltaToday had reported that a certain Luigi Riitano had turned up at a "bank" with Lm40,000 in cash, an incident which prompted the cashier to inform his bank manager that someone was at the counter with a large sum of money. When questioned by the bank manager about the origin of the money the gentleman answered that it was from the Julius Caesar film.

MaltaToday also reported that the bank manager phoned the production manager of the Julius Caesar film set, who knew nothing of the money in question.

In his reply Mr Riitano said that it was "absolutely false that the BOV called the production manager." The Italian businessman confirmed that a telephone call did take place but clarified that it was made to the production accountant Salvatore Gallo, who rightfully informed his superiors and Mr Riitano himself.

"I denied everything in the presence of the ‘GC Film Productions’ officials and I requested that they accompany me to the bank to clear the matter," Mr Riitano said.

"I went to the Gzira BOV together with the Production Accountant, Salvatore Gallo to see if the cashier would recognise me as the person mentioned. As I was certain, I was not recognised as being the person. The person in question was not me," Mr Riitano stressed, denying that he ever had Lm40,000 of his own.

In no unclear terms Mr Riitano made it a point to clarify that he is "ONE" of the directors of Dolphin Film Productions.

It is understood that the relationship between the company owned by Mr Riitano and Dr Spiteri and the film company producing Julius Caeser was terminated soon after the incident at BOV.