Car dealer in Identità case loses fraud lawsuit, ordered to pay €129,000

Bernard Attard, the car dealer facing criminal charges over the Identità racket, has now been found civilly liable for fraud after misappropriating funds in a failed business venture involving a Mellieħa campsite.

The First Hall of the Civil Court ordered Attard to pay damages of €129,200, while his father, Calcedonio, must refund a further €32,300 that had ended up in his account.

The case was instituted by Adventure Camping and Leisure Co. Ltd and its director, Vince Vella, who accused Attard and his parents of fraud and misappropriation. The company, which leases the Aħrax tal-Mellieħa campsite from the Lands Authority, had already been facing enforcement action by the Planning Authority over irregular mobile homes on the site.

According to testimony, Attard first approached Vella in April 2023, initially expressing interest in buying a mobile home. He later proposed taking on half of the company’s shares, telling Vella he could use his alleged connections at the Planning Authority to resolve the enforcement impasse.

Between April and June 2023, Vella transferred over €160,000 to Attard, believing the money would be used to pay fines, engage an architect, and sanction the irregular structures. Attard, meanwhile, introduced himself to staff, presented himself as a partner, and even arranged for his mother, Marthese, to appear as a shareholder in the company through documents she signed.

But no fines were paid, no architect was engaged, and the PA’s enforcement order remained active. Matters came to a head when enforcement officers visited the site and informed Vella that the €50,000 penalty remained outstanding. Vella then discovered that Attard had also removed a mobile home worth €20,000 from the campsite and transferred it to his mother’s property.

The court found that Attard’s explanations for the missing funds were unsubstantiated and that the receipts he promised were never provided. Although the judge said the evidence against Marthese Attard did not prove fraudulent intent, the transfer of €32,300 into her husband Calcedonio’s accounts meant he too had to refund the company.

Ultimately, the court ordered Bernard Attard to pay €20,000 for the mobile home and €129,200 in damages, with legal interest running from July 2023 until the full amount is repaid.

Judge Henri Mizzi presided over the case. Lawyers Jason Grima and Luke Isaac Valletta represented the plaintiffs, while Attard and his parents were assisted by José Herrera and David Camilleri.