Two men yesterday told a court how a 71-year-old woman asked them for Lm600 each to help them obtain an invalidity pension.

John Camilleri and Mario Cachia testified separately and told Magistrate Edwina Grima how Saverin Sinagra, a pensioner of Zejtun, asked them for the money but told them it was not for her.

Ms Sinagra is pleading not guilty to bribing a public official to obtain invalidity pensions for others and accepting bribes from third parties to influence the public official on and before June this year.

Mr Camilleri explained that he used to work at Malta Shipyards and wanted to leave because he suffered from a medical condition. Someone told him that Ms Sinagra could help him obtain an invalidity pension. He went to her Zejtun home where she filled in an application form for him and sent him to a doctor - who practised from a Zejtun office - who issued a medical certificate so he would go on sick leave.

She also sent him to a certain doctor, Joseph Cassar, who examined him for his medical condition.

Mr Camilleri eventually obtained an invalidity pension from his place of employment and started receiving half his salary.

Since he still had to obtain the go-ahead from the Health Ministry, he asked Ms Sinagra to help him speed up the process because he was low on cash. She advised him to contact a certain Thomas Woods at the ministry, which he did.

Some time later, Ms Sinagra told him that Mr Woods asked for Lm600 that was to be divided among several people.

When he heard about the payment he told Ms Sinagra he did not want to pay and asked her to stop the process. She phoned Mr Woods to inform him about this and his application was cancelled.

Some days later, Mr Camilleri went to speak to Dr Cassar because he thought he was involved in the matter. He asked the doctor to help him out and said he was willing to "help him" in return. On hearing this, Dr Cassar looked surprised and angry and categorically denied being involved with Ms Sinagra.

Dr Cassar sent Mr Camilleri to repeat all this in front of ministry officials, which he did.

When this was all over, Mr Camilleri said he was speaking to a certain Paul Catania about the fact that he wanted to obtain an invalidity pension. Mr Catania told him to speak to Mr Woods and Mr Camilleri told him he had already done so and that his application was cancelled.

When Mr Catania and Mr Camilleri went to meet Mr Woods, the cancellation of the application was confirmed. Later, Mr Catania told him that Mr Woods claimed to have cancelled his application because he was a Labourite.

Mr Cachia explained that he worked at Maltacom and Ms Sinagra, whom he knew, had offered to help him obtain an invalidity pension in exchange for Lm600. She had sent him to Mr Woods. When he obtained the invalidity pension he handed the money to Ms Sinagra who said it was not for her.

Police Inspector Joseph Cordina is prosecuting Lawyer Kris Busietta is defence counsel.