An appeals court today ordered Frank Portelli, owner of St Philip's Hospital, to pay three employees a total of €13,320 within a month after confirming a judgement of the first court that he had not paid them for three months.

The court said tax and social security contributions have to be deducated from that amount.

The employees, Miriam Cutajar, Dolores Abela and Nancy Cauchi told the court that they had left the hospital after they were not paid for three months and they could not continue to work without being paid.

Dr Portelli explained financial difficulties which the hospital had faced. He said none of the employees had told him they would resign, but these three had abandoned the patients.

He said the hospital had an arrangement to pay the workers' taxes and social contributions. The hospital was also ready to pay any outstanding amounts to the workers as soon as it could.

Dr Poertelli was conditionally discharged for three months and ordered to pay the  workers within a month.

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