Suspended jail term for gambling addict

An Italian fraudster was yesterday given a suspended jail term after admitting to defrauding a businessman.

The man, 35-year-old Domenico Furfaro, has a gambling addiction and his family is determined to place him in a rehabilitation programme as soon as he gets back home.

Agreeing with the prosecution, defence lawyer Richard Sladden said his client's family had been stretched to the limit as a result of Mr Furfaro's behaviour and, in fact, he will be going straight to the rehabilitation programme once back home. Mr Furfaro admitted last week to stealing six cheques from Shopwise Developments Ltd and using them to pay €16,500 to the Casino Di Venezia in Vittoriosa in one night.

A day later he was charged with defrauding businessman Victor Sciriha, who is also president of the Valletta football club, of €10,000.

Mr Furfaro had claimed to be the CEO 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.

Police Inspector Angelo Gafà prosecuted.