Company director who conned friend out of thousands threatened with prison

Charles Abela was accused of misappropriating money from a man he befriended before proposing a joint business venture in trading scrap metal

A company director who conned his friend out of €4,500 has been told that he will go to prison if he does not repay the debt within six months.

Magistrate Joseph Mifsud had heard Inspector Yvonne Farrugia accuse Charles Abela of misappropriation, obtaining money by false pretences and other fraudulent gain after receiving a report from Alan Vella, a Director of Price Breakers Limited.

Vella had testified to having been befriended by the accused before being deceived. He had told police that in March 2011, Abela had convinced him to form part of a joint business venture, trading scrap metal. Vella had given Abela €4,500 to purchase scrap aluminium locally, which would then be sold abroad.

He was promised a return of €8,500 the following month, upon conclusion of the deal.

However, the following July, with his €8,500 still outstanding, Vella filed a report with the police. He claimed that Abela was making excuses for more time. The month before filing the report, Abela had written a cheque for €8,000 from an account belonging to ECO Export Corp Ltd, but the cheque was not honoured by the bank.

After initially claiming that he was still waiting to receive payment from the client, it later emerged that Abela had received the majority of the money from the sale, but had used them to operate another company of his called Elevators D.C., in which Vella had no stake.

The court found him guilty of obtaining money by false pretences.

In his sentence, delivered this morning, Magistrate Joe Mifsud concluded that a prison sentence was not an ideal punishment, noting that a suspended sentence, together with an order to repay the sum illicitly obtained would better safeguard the interests of the victim.

“This way, the victim can obtain payment and if the defendant fails to settle the debt within the time period prescribed, the custodial portion of his sentence will become effective.”

Abela was found guilty of making fraudulent gain and handed him a two-year prison sentence suspended for four years. He was also ordered to pay Vella the €4,500 within six months.