A former Arriva bus driver yesterday denied defrauding the company of some €15,000 after allegedly pocketing money from the sales of tickets.

Ronald Gerada, 34, of Xgħajra, also stands accused of computer misuse when he allegedly used the password of another driver to attribute the sales to him, so his own involvement would be untraceable.

The alleged crimes happened in February and in the preceding months.

Mr Gerada is no longer employed by Arriva and now works in a scrap yard.

He is also denying relapsing and committing a crime during the operative period of a suspended jail term. Magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona granted him bail against a deposit of €3,000. This is the second time a bus driver from the same company has been charged over a similar incident, the first being one month ago when Manuel Ciappara, 28, of Birkirkara was jailed for 30 months. Mr Ciappara had taken €11,762 in cash.

Police Inspector Jonathan Ferris prosecuted while lawyer Joseph Giglio appeared for the accused.

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