Man accused of people trafficking as fishermen turn out to be tile layers

A man from Zejtun who misled the authorities by telling them that construction workers he had brought from Egypt were fishermen has been charged with offences relating to human trafficking.

Principal Immigration Officer, Frankie Sammut told magistrate Grazio Mercieca that 24 year-old Christian Debattista had declared the three Egyptian workers as fishermen, residing on a vessel Sarah.

The court was told that Debattista would recruit crew members in Egypt, with the promise of a work visa. The police had carried out a covert surveillance operation, watching the ship for a month and noted that the Egyptian were not sleeping on the vessel, but were living in an apartment in Birzebbugia.

The Egyptians testified today, telling the court that they were illegally employed as tile layers, not fishermen.

Debattista pleaded not guilty to charges which included trafficking in persons and making false declarations to the authorities. A request for bail was turned down.

Lawyers Franco Debono, Marion Camilleri and  Yanika Vidal are defence counsel.