Parents of seven-year-old cancer patient accused of gambling away charitable donations they received for his treatment

According to the prosecution, donations from entities and people for the child's treatment, were gambled away by his parents

The 31-year-old and 27-year-old mother, who live together in Mosta were arraigned before magistrate Astrid May Grima on charges of misappropriation, fraud and money laundering
The 31-year-old and 27-year-old mother, who live together in Mosta were arraigned before magistrate Astrid May Grima on charges of misappropriation, fraud and money laundering

The parents of a cancer stricken seven-year-old child, have been accused in court of having defrauded their own son by gambling away money originally donated by the public and cancer charities to fund his medical treatment.

The 31-year-old and 27-year-old mother, who live together in Mosta were arraigned before magistrate Astrid May Grima on charges of misappropriation, fraud and money laundering on Thursday, by police inspector Tom Joe Farrugia and AG prosecutor lawyer Karl Muscat. 

Both accused, who told the court that they were currently unemployed, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Defence lawyer Noel Bianco requested bail, as well as a ban on the publication of the names of the accused. “The accused are Maltese and cooperated with the police. I don’t see why bail should be refused. They have a fixed address,” he said, stating that keeping the parents in custody would have grave repercussions on the child, also pointing out that they had been on police bail for some time and had not attempted to suborn any witnesses.

Prosecutor Karl Muscat argued against the father’s release, emphasising that the couple was being accused of defrauding their own son, as well as other entities. “There were many entities and people who donated money to help fund their son’s treatment, but instead of using them for this purpose, they gambled it all away,” he said.

The prosecution did not object to the mother’s request for bail, out of the desire not to inflict further suffering on the son. “[The father] is a different matter, however. His criminal record is 26 pages long and besides this, he is not trustworthy. It is clear that this court cannot have peace of mind if he is released from arrest,” Muscat submitted, also pointing to the fact that the investigation was still in its early stages and that all the persons who donated money will have to testify, as well as representatives of Puttinu Cares, a charity which organises and funds cancer patients’ treatment abroad.

During interrogation, the father had also mentioned a bookmaker who could confirm that the money he was gambling were, in fact, his winnings on bets he had placed on horse races, said Muscat. He went on to state that the bookmaker in question had subsequently been spoken to by the police, and said that although some bets had been won, this amount was smaller than the total wagered.  This important witness is due to testify in the next sitting as the first witness. 

“[The mother] was also aware of everything that was going on,” Muscat said. He explained that the father had been gambling using money passed on to him by his partner. “Investigations revealed that when he gambled online, he wasn’t using his own money, but hers,” he explained, adding that all the bank accounts belonging to the woman were being accessed by the father.

Defence lawyer Noel Bianco informed the court that the bookmaker in question was now dead and that in the past few years, the accused had turned his life around, something he said, which had also been recognised by the Criminal Court, which had commuted a sentence which the father had received in a separate criminal case to probation.

“This child is very attached to his parents. I fear he will suffer repercussions. I’m told he was crying for them all last night. Both accused should benefit from bail, albeit with harsher conditions for [the father],” Bianco submitted.

Muscat said that the bookmaker’s assistant had been present during the transactions and that the case hinged on this testimony. He insisted that there was a risk that the father would attempt to contact this witness and tamper with evidence.

The couple, dressed in casual sportswear, were arraigned before magistrate Astrid May Grima.

The court denied the father’s bail request, but upheld the mother’s, releasing her from arrest against a deposit of €1,000 and a personal guarantee of €10,000.

“Keep that boy in mind,” the magistrate told the woman, urging her to stick to her bail conditions.

After bail was granted, the defence requested the court impose a ban on the publication of the names of the accused, which was objected to by prosecution, as more victims could come forward or be advised not to deposit. Muscat suggested the court only prohibit reporting the name of the child.

But Bianco pointed out that the couple had previously appeared on local talk show Xarabank, which would render their son immediately identifiable.

The court upheld the request for a ban on the publication of the accused’s names, solely for the reason that one of the victims is the couple’s own son. “This is the only reason why I’m upholding it,” said the magistrate. The prosecution’s request for a freezing order over the couple’s assets was upheld.