Two charged with defrauding clients total of €380,000 in lift installation scam

Two men have pleaded not guilty to defrauding more than 11 clients of a total of €380,000 in a lift installation scheme in which the promised equipment was never delivered, despite most payments having been made upfront.

The accused, a 58-year-old Italian national and a 54-year-old Maltese salesman from St Julian’s, appeared in court on Monday afternoon, along with the company owned by the Italian man. They were arraigned before Magistrate Lara Lanfranco.

Their names have been withheld by court order following a request from the prosecution, as investigations are still ongoing.

Police Inspector Keith Caruana Darmanin told the court that several reports had been filed with district police dating back to 2022. The complaints came from a mix of private homeowners and contractors who had ordered lifts for houses or apartment blocks.

The cases followed a similar pattern: victims would initially pay a 30% deposit, followed by an additional 50%, but after paying 90% of the total cost, the lifts were neither delivered nor installed.

In some instances, the equipment was left outside clients’ premises, but attempts to have it installed by third parties revealed that the parts were incompatible with the properties. In total, the alleged fraud amounted to €380,000.

One client reportedly received a letter from the shipping company CMA-CGM claiming that the shipment was en route, but the document lacked a delivery date. Police obtained a version of the same letter showing the date, which contradicted the company's original statement.

The Italian suspect was arrested on Saturday afternoon just before boarding a flight to Bergamo, Italy. However, his lawyer Franco Debono challenged the validity of the arrest, arguing that the duty magistrate had been informed too close to the six-hour legal deadline required by law.

The court ordered the prosecution to present evidence showing the exact time the duty magistrate was informed of the arrest. Both men, as well as the company, were charged with money laundering and fraud involving more than 11 clients.

The Maltese man also faced separate charges of forging commercial documents and maliciously using them. His lawyer, José Herrera, requested bail, arguing that his client was a salaried employee of the co-accused and could in fact be a victim in the case. He also noted that his client had been aware of the ongoing investigation since 2022 and had not attempted to flee.

Prosecutors did not object to bail as long as strict conditions were imposed. The court granted bail against a €5,000 deposit and a €10,000 personal guarantee. The man was ordered to sign at the police station four times a week and was placed under curfew.

As proceedings against the Italian national continued, the prosecution failed to confirm when the duty magistrate was informed of his arrest. The court declared the arrest invalid due to the likelihood that the six-hour time limit had been exceeded.

The Italian man also denied the charges. The court imposed conditions, including signing at the police station three times a week, and issued a €10,000 personal guarantee as bail.

The prosecution was led by lawyers Dejan Darmanin and Nicole Marie Sladden from the Office of the Attorney General, assisted by Inspector Keith Caruana Darmanin. The defence was led by lawyers Franco Debono and Adreana Zammit.