A man who had been convicted of money laundering through two brothels yesterday admitted to human trafficking and living off the earnings of prostitution at the same brothels.

Emanuel Bajada, 57, of Msida had in 2006 admitted to money laundering through brothels at Pace's Guesthouse in Sliema and Adams's Guesthouse in St Julians. For that crime he was given a two-year prison sentence suspended for four years and fined €50,000.

The two guesthouses were in operation for two months in 2005 before the police swooped down on them in May of that year.

Mr Bajada yesterday got a second suspended jail term and was fined a further €460 after admitting to running the two guesthouses as brothels, trafficking in a number of persons with the aim of making them work in prostitution, financing a criminal organisation and living off the earnings of prostitution.

Defence counsel Chris Cardona said his client had already been fined €50,000 by another court and had all his assets frozen. He had also paid €47,000 on behalf of his son, a co-accused in the current proceedings, as a personal guarantee imposed by the court. Mr Bajada had cooperated with the police and was ready to testify against third parties if need be.

Magistrate Antonio Mizzi handed down a two-year jail term suspended for four years and fined him €460. He also ordered to pay €8,986 in court expenses.