A Żabbar greengrocer who was allegedly blackmailed by three women who took compromising pictures of him in his underwear yesterday denied pursuing one of them and leaving free vegetables on her doorstep to bed her.

The grey-haired 62-year-old was being cross-examined in the case of a 39-year-old woman, her daughter 19, and her 40-year-old sister who are accused of extorting €15,000 from the greengrocer in December 2009.

The court banned publication of all names.

Magistrate Anthony Vella had previously heard how the 39-year-old had enticed the greengrocer into her bedroom and, once he got undressed, her sister and daughter burst into the room and took photos of him using a mobile phone.

They demanded money from him and threatened that, if he did not pay up, they would take the photos to his wife. Through further threats, they then managed to extort some €15,000 from him, the court heard.

Defence lawyer Michael Sciriha asked the man yesterday whether he had been trying to seduce the woman before the incident, a suggestion the greengrocer rejected.

Dr Sciriha also asked whether he had been leaving free vegetables on her doorstep and had even followed her in his vegetable van when she went to pick her children up from school. He denied this too.

On further questioning, the greengrocer admitted to having lent the woman €600 on condition she would pay him €60 a month.

Dr Sciriha asked him whether he had threatened to tell her sister about the loan if she refused to sleep with him and again the greengrocer denied doing so.

The lawyer asked if the mobile phone used to take the pictures was still in his possession at his garage. The man denied it.

The case continues in May when the cross-examination is expected to continue and the women are also expected to ­testify.