Chief Justice orders four men to be re-arrested

A court of appeal yesterday ordered the re-arrest of two Maltese and two Gozitan men who were accused of human trafficking and of exploiting a 21-year-old Romanian woman for prostitution.

Josef Camilleri, 30, of Gharghur, a shop owner; local warden Anthony Muscat, 32, of Munxar; Klemenzju Zerafa, 56, a butcher of Ghajnsielem and Ferdinando Veneziani, a 27-year-old foreman of Gharghur, had been granted bail even though placed under house arrest conditions and were made to make a deposit of Lm1,000 and a personal guarantee of Lm3,000. The Attorney General appealed the decision.

Chief Justice Vincent Degaetano upheld the arguments raised by the Attorney General and ordered that the men be re-arrested and kept at the Corradino Corrective Facility at least until the Romanian woman testifies.

The woman was allegedly made to prostitute herself at first in Bugibba. She was then allegedly moved to a number of places in Gozo.

Mr Camilleri and Mr Veneziani were accused of having trafficked the girl with the aim of having her act as a prostitute. They were also accused of having, through threats of violence, forced her into prostitution.

Police Inspectors Raymond Aquilina and Josric Mifsud, prosecuting, asked the court to provide for the security of the woman and her family especially because she had cooperated fully with the police.

Lawyers Manwel Mallia u Giannella Caruana Curran appeared for Mr Zerafa and Mr Veneziani.

Lawyer Joseph Giglio was defence counsel for Mr Camilleri.

Lawyer Franco Debono appeared for Mr Muscat.