Cleared of counterfeit bills possession

A man was cleared of the possession of three counterfeit bills when a magistrate heard how the accused had in fact been tricked into receiving the money only a few hours before a police search.

Magistrate Lawrence Quintano cleared Reno Gatt, 59, of Cospicua of the possession of two counterfeit Lm5 bills and one Lm10 bill on April 28, 2002.

The magistrate heard how the police had been informed that Mr Gatt was in the possession of counterfeit money. Officers searched him when he was at the Cospicua football club where he was found to be in the possession of the three bills.

Mr Gatt told the police he was a businessman and dealt in shoes and clothes which he sold through hawkers. He said that on the morning of his arrest a hawker he did business with had paid him and given him counterfeit money but he only noticed that the money was false when it was too late. Soon after, he was arrested by the police.

Police Inspector Norbert Ciappara prosecuted.

Lawyers Kris Busietta and Jason Azzopardi appeared for Mr Gatt.