Woman testifies in second usury case

A woman explained in court yesterday how she used to pay part of the money she owned to two loan sharks from social security benefits and from the money she earned as a prostitute.

Maria Fatima Mifsud, 54, said Pierino Fiorini, 58, and his wife Stella, 53, of Tarxien used to go to Marsa on her beat and demand Lm5 a day from her.

She also recounted how one day Fiorini threatened her with a flick knife when she fell behind in her payments.

The Fiorinis are being accused of usury and of having lived partly or in full off the earnings of prostitution. This usury case surfaced after Mifsud become snowed under by the demands for the payment of interest due to another two loan sharks and left home hoping to get some respite. After spending a week living in a field, she decided to inform the police criminal investigation department of her predicament.

Last Tuesday Mifsud testified in the compilation of evidence against George Xuereb, 38, of Safi and Connie Lia, 32, of Zurrieq who are pleading not guilty to usury, loaning money against interest without a licence and living off the earnings of prostitution.

Prosecuting officer Joseph Cordina said yesterday that during a search at the Fiorinis' home, the police found a private agreement between the Fiorinis and Mifsud for the loan of Lm3,000, a private agreement with Grace Grech, who is Mifsud's daughter, for a loan of Lm930, and a private agreement with Carmelo Mifsud, Mifsud's son, for a loan for Lm6,750. A lawyer had signed the agreements.

Other exhibits included bank books belonging to Mifsud, Grech and Lorraine Attard, who lives with Mifsud and who had also taken a loan from the Fiorinis, as well as a flick knife.

Mifsud said she had been borrowing money at high interest for the past 17 years. The interest demanded by the Fiorinis was Lm50 for every Lm100 she borrowed.

Mifsud, her daughter and Attard had signed an agreement with the Fiorinis appointing them as procurators to administer their property.

The social security benefits the women received were credited to their bank accounts and the Fiorinis called at the bank and collected their share from the accounts of the three women.

Grech testified that although she had borrowed Lm600, the figure shown due to the Fiorinis, as indicated on the agreement, was Lm930. The Fiorinis, she said, called on her at Marsa to collect Lm5 daily from her as well.

Carmelo Mifsud said he had borrowed Lm3,000 but the agreement with the Fiorinis showed he owed them Lm6,750.

After hearing submissions by defence counsel Franco Debono, Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera reduced the Fiorinis' personal guarantee from Lm10,000 to Lm5,000 and eased their house arrest conditions by allowing them to leave home in certain hours and sign twice weekly at a police station on condition they refrain from approaching any of the witnesses.