Man accused of pocketing the proceeds of his relatives' property sale

A pensioner from Zurrieq has been charged with pocketing €57,000 that he allegedly received as part of a property deal in which he was supposed to be representing relatives who live abroad under power of attorney.

Raymond Buhagiar, 66, appeared before magistrate Doreen Clarke on Wednesday, charged with having committed misappropriation and fraud to the detriment of his Maltese Australian relatives, between July 2016 and February 2022.

Inspector Sean Paul Farrugia, prosecuting together with lawyer Andrea Zammit from the Office of the Attorney General, informed the court that the alleged victims had granted Buhagiar power of attorney to represent them in the sale of a parcel of land which they owned in Malta, but had not handed over the €57,000 return to the plaintiffs.

They accused Buhagiar of misappropriating the money made as a result of the property deal.

Lawyer Arthur Azzopardi assisted Buhagiar, who pleaded not guilty to the charges of misappropriation and recidivism during his arraignment.

As Buhagiar was charged by summons and not under arrest, there was no need for bail.

Lawyer David Bonello is representing the alleged victims.