Man cheated firms by pretending to win contract

A man was found guilty of defrauding two companies of €15,000 by telling them he had won a government contract to supply water heaters.

Anthony Bezzina, 49, was given a two-year jail term suspended for four years and ordered to repay the money.

In 2001, Mr Bezzina went to Falzon Trading Limited and Master Electric Co. Limited and said he had won a contract for the supply of water heaters for schools and social housing estates. The call for tenders, he claimed, had been issued by the Department of Education and the Housing Authority.

The two companies agreed to supply the goods on credit to Mr Bezzina but never received payment except for a one-off €466 he had paid to Master Electric.

Mr Bezzina released a statement to the police in 2002 in which he attempted to perpetuate the lie, repeating what he told the companies. He promised to produce the relevant documents to prove he did indeed win the contract... but never brought them.

Magistrate Audrey Demicoli said it was evident that the companies had handed over such a large amount of stock to the accused because he had lied to them. As a result, the companies suffered a big loss.

Mr Bezzina's criminal record showed it was not the first time he had broken the law. The court felt, however, that he did not merit a jail term.