Casino dealer admits to colluding with players in bid to share profits

A Baccarat card dealer has admitted to colluding with players, allowing them to win and sharing the spoils.

22-year-old Swieqi resident, Luigi Giuseppe Comella from Italy was arraigned before magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras on Friday, accused of defrauding the casino where he used to work and misappropriation.

Comella, who told the court that he had since been fired and was currently unemployed, was assisted by a court-appointed lawyer.

At the start of the sitting, police inspector Keith Xerri and defence lawyer Joseph Bonnici asked to be allowed to approach the bench so as to discuss the case privately, but the request was rebuffed by the magistrate.

Inspector Xerri explained that the man worked as a card dealer at a Casino and had tampered with some games to allow players to win and then shared the profit. The Casino management had contacted the police after the fraud was captured on CCTV.

Asked to expand on how the alleged tampering took place, the inspector told the court that Comello had been dealing cards to customers playing the “Punto Banco” version of the Baccarat card game.

The defendant was observed to be putting the casino chips down after the cards were dealt or on other occasions, moving the chips before dealing the hand. His actions had caused the casino to suffer €8,050 in damages.

The court was told that the tampering incident took place yesterday and that Comello had been arrested after the hotel management informed the police.

Bonnici told the court that the defendant was prepared to refund the amount allegedly taken.

Although the charges carried a potential maximum fiv-year prison sentence, or a fine of up to €50,000, or both fine and imprisonment, the prosecution said it was “not going to insist on a very harsh punishment.” The inspector also informed the court that the prosecution would not be objecting to any bail request, should the defendant plead not guilty.

Bonnici said that his client would be pleading guilty. The defendant confirmed his admission of guilt after the court explained that if he confirmed it, he would not be able to retract it later.

The defendant had not returned any of the €8,050 he defrauded, but was prepared to do so, said the defence. At this point the court warned Comella that if he were to receive a suspended sentence, the suspension would still be contingent on him repaying the injured party within six months.

Bonnici further submitted that the defendant’s meals and lodging would be automatically deducted from his wages, which meant that he did not have sufficient funds in Malta to satisfy any bail deposits. Comella’s mother would be able to send funds from Italy, but these would not arrive today, he said.

Adjourning the case to next Friday for sentencing, the court granted the defendant bail against an €8,000 personal guarantee, ordering him not to change his address, sign a bail book twice a day and observe a curfew until his sentencing hearing.