Man charged with fraudulently claiming over €15,000 in disability benefits

A 59-year-old man has admitted to fraudulently claiming over €15,000 in disability benefits but pleaded not guilty to forgery charges.

Carmel Cassar 59, from Tarxien, appeared before magistrate Nadine Lia on Monday, accused by Inspector Shaun Friggieri of seven charges in all, including forgery, knowingly making use of a forged document, falsifying a public document and knowingly making use of it, making a false declaration to a public authority, defrauding the Social Security Department of over €5,000 and other fraudulent gain in excess of €5,000.

Cassar’s lawyer, Jason Azzopardi, told the court that his client would be pleading not guilty “for now,” explaining that while the defendant was prepared to admit to knowingly making use of the forged documents, he was denying having forged them himself.

The Court explained to Cassar the consequences of his partial admission of guilt, which potentially included prison time, large fines and potential damages. Magistrate Lia said she was doing this in order to be certain that Cassar knew what he was going in for. “If you are doubtful, unsure, or think you are pleading guilty for the wrong reasons, don’t.”

The man, however, confirmed his plea.

Last Thursday, former Labour MP Silvio Grixti was questioned by the police over his involvement in the fraudulent acquisition of monthly disability benefits by hundreds of individuals who were not legitimately entitled to them. No mention of Grixti was made today in court.

A representative from the Social Services department exhibited a copy of the man’s application for social benefits as well as the medical certificate that was attached to it.

The application for severe disability assistance was filed in November 2020, together with a medical report for the medical board, said the witness. Cassar was subsequently examined by a multidisciplinary board and certified as eligible for severe disability assistance, receiving benefits which were backdated to the date of his application.

He confirmed that the defendant had signed a monthly repayment agreement with the department and had been doing so since May, under which he is to pay €100 to the department every month. “So far he has repaid €600, out of a total of €15,731.”

Azzopardi asked the witness to confirm that Cassar had been suspended on half pay by the Public Service Commission for the past few months, but the Social Security department representative could not say as he had no involvement in the proceedings.

The magistrate asked the prosecution whether she was being asked to issue a prima facie decree - which would mean that the case could be tried before the Criminal Court, after the Inspector asked to declare the prosecution’s evidence closed. “You have a case with seven charges of which three are not being admitted to… it is a case of prima facie or are you withdrawing the outstanding three charges?”

The inspector replied that he would have to confer with the Attorney General on this point before committing to a way forward.

The Court adjourned the case to November for this reason.