Fraudsters go on ‘Yellow Pages’ spending spree with dead man’s cheque book

Numerous photographs, stills and CCTV footage taken from a number of stores and businesses around the island, led police to bust a gang of criminals who defrauded companies out of thousands of euro's in alcohol, food-stuffs, hi-fi equipment, television sets and other materials, paying them off with a dead man's cheque book and selling off the products.

The case, investigated by Police from the Economic Crimes Unit and other sections of the police force, led to the arrest of a number of persons, with the first person being arraigned this morning and remanded in custody.

Investigations led police to uncover a brilliant plan by the gang to defraud the companies, by coming into possession of a cheque book belonging to a man named Saviour Grima, who died three years ago.

The gang would then use the Yellow Pages every morning, flip through the pages and claim to order products in bulk on behalf of ship-chandling company 'Salvu Grima & Sons'.

Police Inspector Jonathan Ferris from the Economic Crimes Unit, together with Inspectors Carol Fabri and Arthur Mercieca said that the gang would travel around Malta, collect the products and pay by cheque using 'Saviour Grima's' name.

"There was a time towards the end of last summer that the gang bought up almost the entire stocks of coffee on the island," Inspector Ferris said.

The plan was thought to the least detail, as police also discovered how the criminals knew that the deceased man had no heirs.

The first of the gang, unemployed Keith Camilleri, 31 of Qormi, who has a history with the police was charged with15 counts of fraud, falsification and relapsing.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was remanded in custody.

Magistrate Neville Camilleri who presided over the sitting was informed that other people are expected to be arraigned over the coming days, and the "amounts will continue to rise."