Fired managing director admits to pocketing €30,000 of company money

A company managing director has been handed a suspended two-year prison sentence after she admitted to helping herself to €30,000 of the company's money through fraud and misappropriation.

36-year-old Petra Kulja, former managing director of Sliema-based Paperless Innovation Ltd, was arraigned before magistrate Audrey Demicoli this morning, on charges of fraud and misappropriation.

It is understood that the Croatian national had come under scrutiny after discrepancies were found in the 2014 annual accounts. Kulja was dismissed and the police informed, after an internal investigation concluded that she had defrauded the company.

Inspector Yvonne Farrugia, prosecuting, informed the court that the woman had cooperated with the police and had expressed a wish to pay back the amount she had taken.

The court sentenced Kulja to two years in prison, suspended for four, also giving her six months in which she is to pay €30,000 to the company.

Lawyer Benjamin Valenzia appeared as legal aid to Kulja.