Casual chambermaids prime suspects of taking cash from hotel room

Two chambermaids who were employed on a casual basis, a mother and her daughter, were the only two people, apart from the guest, who had entered a hotel room where €600 went missing, apart, the court heard.

Crown Hotel director Ronald Azzopardi testified how a system installed at his hotel automatically recorded every time an electronic key is used and a room is accessed and makes a distinction between the electronic key used by guests and those used by hotel staff.

He was testifying in the case against Emanuela Camilleri, 39, of Swieqi and her 24-year-old daughter, Kirsten of Gżira, who are pleading not guilty to stealing about €600 from the hotel room of a Russian tourist who says he left the money in the drawer of a bedside table. The alleged theft took place on August 15 from the St Paul’s Bay hotel. The accused are the wife and daughter of drug convict Mario Camilleri, known as L-Imnieħru. The mother owns a company called Special Cleaners.

Mr Azzopardi specified that the Camilleris were not hotel employees but were called in occasionally when the hotel was short-staffed. On the day in question, their help was sought because of a shortage of chambermaids at a time when the hotel was full. At first, Emanuela Camilleri said she had no people to send but eventually turned up at the hotel at about midday with her daughter.

Mr Azzopardi said that when he returned to the hotel at about 3.30 p.m. he was informed by hotel staff that Russian guest Omerus Stanjokov had reported finding money missing from his bedside table. The guest said that when he went to his room he found the accused cleaning.

At first, the Russian travel agent, who stepped in as an interpreter, told the hotel staff €100 had gone missing, then the figure was raised to €400 and then again to €600.

Under cross examination, Mr Azzopardi said that, as far as he could remember, there was nothing wrong with the electricity system that necessitated calling electricians to the room, as the accused were claiming.

Police Inspector Therese Sciberras said the record showed the accused had entered the room at the time when the guest claimed his money had been stolen.

At the end of the sitting, lawyer Joe Brincat, who appeared for the accused, asked Magistrate Audrey Demicoli to amend the bail conditions because Kirsten Camilleri was pregnant. The court instructed Dr Brincat to file an application and go through the normal channels.

The case continues.