A 20-year-old man charged with exercising the medical profession without a licence told his girlfriend's sister he had conducted heart surgery on a two-month-old baby, a court heard yesterday.

Karen Mangion told Magistrate Lawrence Quintano she knew Duncan Buttigieg because he had gone out with her sister Susan.

"He told us he was a doctor and once he told me he had operated on a two-month-old baby and Mr Manchè told him he could now resign from the profession."

Mangion was testifying in the compilation of evidence against Buttigieg, of Ghaxaq, who is pleading not guilty to exercising the medical profession without a licence on August 21 and during the preceding year.

Buttigieg is facing a total of 10 charges ranging from prescribing medicine, forging documents and making false declarations, to using false names and false qualifications, among others.

Mangion also said Buttigieg had examined her and prescribed pills for influenza but he did not charge her for his medical advice.

"In the last two months I started to suspect he was not really a doctor so once I asked him if he was. He showed me a medical card and told me that a person who posed as a doctor faced up to 10 years imprisonment," she said.

"He also said he was attending courses and had won scholarships and that he practised medicine at Zammit Clapp Hospital, where he earned Lm15 a visit, and at St Luke's Hospital.

"He told me he owned a medicine company and a company that sold computer-related equipment and that he had offices in Sliema and a plot of land in Madliena," Mangion said.

Earlier, Police Inspector Josric Mifsud, prosecuting, explained that on August 21 Anthony Testa told him that Buttigieg was posing as a doctor.

The inspector also spoke to Buttigieg's former girlfriend, Susan Mangion, her sister Karen and their mother Maria Lordes who said that Buttigieg had told them he was a doctor.

Lorenza and Emanuel Cutajar said Buttigieg had examined their daughter and issued a medical certificate for her to take to school.

Inspector Mifsud said Buttigieg had released a statement and told him he had been acting as a doctor since last October and had even bought medical equipment.

During a search at Buttigieg's house the police seized four rubber stamps: one stamp read "Dr D Buttigieg" and another had the name of a company engraved on it.

The police also found a packet of papers with the words "Dr Duncan Buttigieg MD" printed on them and another pack with a letterhead reading "Buttigieg Group of Companies".

A diary, several Department of Health certificates, four photographs showing Buttigieg posing as a doctor and a briefcase containing a stethoscope and other items were also seized.

Under cross-examination Inspector Mifsud said Buttigieg had told him he was attending a course at Mother Teresa College.

The inspector added he had verified with the University of Malta that Buttigieg had never studied medicine.

The case continues.