Man gets five more years in jail over €1.5 million fraud

A Briton currently serving time at Corradino Correctional Facility, has been imprisoned for a five years on fraud charges.

Gaetano Mark Savery was imprisoned for a further five years after being found guilty of defrauding the sum of €1,435,000 from three people in 2011.

Prosecuting inspector Maurice Curmi said that the 34-year-old man, from Kent, used forged documents to misappropriate a large amount of money from Matthew and Joseph Gatt, and Henry Spiteri.

Over the past months, the British national was handed jail terms after being convicted of similar offences.

On 2nd July 2011, Magistrate Neville Camilleri ordered the freezing of all assets belonging to Savery. Applying Section 5 of the Money Laundering Act, the court ordered the attachment of all monies and movable property belonging or pertaining to Savery and prohibited the British national from transferring, pledging, hypothecating or otherwise disposing of his property. On 5 December 2011 in separate proceedings, Magistrate Antonio Vella reconfirmed the attachment order.

In August 2013, the accused was imprisoned for 15 months after being found guilty of defrauding and misappropriating €18,000 from Joseph Mifsud. Two months later, in October, the Briton was again imprisoned for three years after being found guilty of defrauding and misappropriating €110,000 from Patricia Calleja, Maria Theresa Portelli and Carmel Grech. In November 2013, Savery's prison term was extended by another three years, after he was convicted of defrauding €293,000 from Adrian Vella Petroni.

Magistrate Doreen Clarke ruled that given Savery's guilty plea and the substantial amount of money, the court has no alternative but to impose another effective jail term. The accused had his present prison term extended with another five years. 

Savery was charged with fraud on several other occasions after promising he would invest people's money in property and in countries known for business, such as the United Arab Emirates. Several farmers were said to have been defrauded by him.

Investigations by the Police Anti-Fraud Squad have shown Savery defrauded people out of €3.5 million.