Man fined after cleaner was falsely registered as translator and left unpaid for nine months


A man has been fined €1,300 and ordered to pay over €7,000 in unpaid wages to an employee who was formally registered as a translator but in reality worked as a cleaner and received no pay for nine months.

Davron Zufarov, a representative of Malta.UZ Limited, was found guilty of failing to pay the woman her wages between 15 March and 31 October 2021. The company was operating from a guesthouse in St Julian’s, where Zufarov also served as company secretary at the time.

The court heard that the employee’s contract described her as a translator, but in practice she cleaned rooms and common areas.

Testimony revealed that the woman herself could not speak English and required a translator during proceedings, a fact the court described as “telling” of her actual duties.

Prosecution evidence presented by the Department for Industrial and Employment Relations (DIER) showed that the woman had not been paid for regular or overtime hours, nor for sick leave or unused vacation leave.

DIER representative Nigel Xuereb Said exhibited the documentation submitted to department manager Abigail Brooke, including payslips, proof of payments, invoices, and the woman’s accommodation and employment contracts.

The court ordered Zufarov to pay the victim €7,028.34 in outstanding dues in addition to the fine, noting that the case illustrated an abuse of employment records to conceal exploitative work conditions.