Brothel operator discovers that crime does not pay

A man was fined €50,000 and given a suspended jail term after he admitted to money laundering through running two brothels in 2005.

Emmanuel Bajada, 55, had pleaded guilty to the charges during the first hearing, on April 6, 2006 and had extensively helped the police during their investigations into a guesthouse in Sliema and another in St Julians.

Magistrate Anthony Vella heard how the two guesthouses had been in operation for two months before the police got wind of the brothels operation and raided them in May four years ago. Almost €4,200, earnings from prostitution, of which half was used to pay for the rent of the properties, were recovered from both the guesthouses, the court heard. In its judgment, the court drew parallels between Mr Bajada's case and that of Carmen Butler, who, in a trial by jury in February last year, had been found guilty of money laundering.

The court said that even though the jurors had asked for clemency and there were particular circumstances surrounding the case, the amount involved was much higher, €56,619.

The fact that Mr Bajada's assistance in the police investigations had a knock-on effect because others were brought to justice thanks to his cooperation led the court to believe that a suspended jail term was suitable.

The magistrate noted that the crime was a serious one and that a suspended jail term, handed down together with a fine, would send a clear message that earning money from crime was intolerable.

The court handed down a two-year jail sentence suspended for four and fined him €50,000.