An Italian businessman who earlier this week admitted to defrauding Casino di Venezia of €16,500 yesterday pleaded guilty to cheating a Maltese businessman of €10,000.

Victor Sciriha, who is also president of the Valletta football club, was the latest victim of Domenico Furfaro, 35, who has caused quite a stir since arriving in Malta.

On Wednesday, Magistrate Audrey Demicoli heard Mr Furfaro confess to stealing six cheques from Shopwise Developments Ltd and using them to pay €16,500 to the casino in Vittoriosa in one night.

Mr Furfaro claims to be the chief executive officer of a company employing 500 people and says on his personal website that he was elected communal councillor of Palmi in 2001 and re-elected in 2003.

He also claims to have worked from the age of 14 with the young socialists in Italy and was head of the united socialists of Italy unit in the Calabria regional committee.

The magistrate was expected to pronounce sentence on the casino fraud charges yesterday but she put the case off for a week in view of the developments.

Just before the start of proceedings on Wednesday, Mr Furfaro made a number of calls to friends asking their help to settle his outstanding debts with the casino. He then promised the casino it would have the money by 1 p.m. the same day.

Mr Furfaro admitted to the fresh charges when he appeared before Magistrate Miriam Hayman despite his lawyer's advice not to. The accused told the court he would be returning the money to Mr Sciriha, adding that he was under the impression that Mr Sciriha had lent him the amount.

Magistrate Hayman denied bail until sentencing on Friday, giving him enough time to fulfil his promise to repay Mr Sciriha.

Police Inspector Angelo Gafà prosecuted.

Lawyer Richard Sladden appeared for Mr Furfaro.