Woman claims threats over testimony against 'pimps'

A Ukrainian woman who claimed she worked as a prostitute under duress has told a court she had received threatening phone calls from the Ukraine since she testified against her pimps last Friday.

Yevgeniya Khonhobeyeva said she was living with a friend called Massimo and had received phone calls from a man in the Ukraine who said something would happen to her sister unless she changed her testimony.

Khonhobeyeva said the caller was also making threatening phone calls to her sister in the Ukraine and she was scared. The caller insisted that if Elena Ellul went to prison something would happen to her (Khonhobeyeva's) sister.

She testified before Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera in the compilation of evidence against husband and wife Paul and Elena Ellul, 26, of Ghaxaq and Carmelo Gravina, 39, of Birzebbuga.

They are pleading not guilty to trafficking persons of age for the purpose of exploiting them for prostitution, living off the earnings of prostitution, running a brothel, allowing a building to be used as a brothel, inducing a person of age to prostitution to gratify the lust of another person, encouraging or facilitating the prostitution of a person and keeping Khonhobeyeva against her will.

Magistrate Scerri Herrera also heard Tatiana Parysheva say she had been working as a prostitute from Gravina's flat for five days before the police arrived.

She said Gravina slept at the flat but left in the mornings. He also brought them food and accompanied them when they went out shopping.

Parysheva said she did not know what to do when she found herself in this predicament and although she was unhappy working as a prostitute, she did not really think of escaping because she was new to Malta and did not know where to go.

She had handed over her passport and flight ticket to Paul Ellul and was later told they had vanished and she knew no English or Maltese (she testified through an interpreter) and felt that she had no option but to do what she was told.

The case continues.

Police Inspector Louise Calleja is prosecuting.

Dr Frank Cassar is appearing for the defendants.