'Homeless' man admits stealing €22,000 from priest's house
A man who claimed to be homeless was today jailed for four years after admitting to stealing €22,000 in cash from a priest's house in Rabat.
Anthony Galea, 49, admitted to the theft, which took place on November 9. He also admitted in court to possession of ecstasy, cocaine and heroin.
Another man, Johann Calleja, 27, who also said he was homeless, pleaded not guilty and was remanded in custody.
The two men had reportedly moved in with the priest because they had nowhere to live.
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38 Comments
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Neville Debattista
Nov 16th 2012, 14:38
@Anhtony Arpa. You must be living in Wonderland then and not in Malta. And another thing. How would you ever recognize a drunken person sleeping on a bench from a homeless drunken person sleeping on another bench? Would he be wearing a label?
Neville Debattista
Nov 16th 2012, 14:31
@Anhtony Arpa. You must be living in Wonderland then and not in Malta. And another thing. How would you ever recognize a drunken person sleeping on a bench from a homeless drunken person sleeping on another bench? Would he be wearing a label?
Neville Debattista
Nov 16th 2012, 13:58
@Peter Spiter. Surely not. He was thinking with his hear instead of thinking with his mind. Which is something we all are apt to do.
Joe Galea
Nov 16th 2012, 08:29
Minn zmien ghal l-iehor gieli ninzertaw program fuq tvm fejn il-prezentatur spiss iheggigna biex nuru hniena u soghba ma dawn li jabbuzaw bid-droga fejn anke kultant jidher xi qassis biex ikomli jheggigna w jappella biex nuru soliderjeta ma dawn in-nies.Issa ga la darba inqalbet il-folja u l-appellant sar il-vittma ,nispera li jaghti l-ezempju u jahfer lil dan Anthony Galea.
Peter spiteri
Nov 16th 2012, 07:33
Didn't the priest realize this despicable guy was a user of so many drugs before giving him shelter?!!!
A. Caruana
Nov 15th 2012, 22:27
Fid-dinja kif taghmel jaghmlulek !!!!!
T Cassar
Nov 15th 2012, 21:01
The two men had reportedly moved in with the priest because they had nowhere to live.'
A 'nice' way of thanking the priest who provided these men with a place to stay! Seems like they were not interested in getting help but just in abusing whoever fell under their claws!
Kurt Mifsud
Nov 15th 2012, 20:30
Imbaghad dahku b'Balotelli ghax sabulu 5k cash fil-karozza! :))
D. A . Agius
Nov 15th 2012, 19:51
Well.. kull deni hudu b'gid. Tnejn ghandhom saqaf fuq rashom issa (fil-habs) u iehor qed jghix bhal kristu... minghajr flus...
Alvin Laudi (malta)
Nov 15th 2012, 23:17
That"s the way it should be !!
john grima
Nov 15th 2012, 15:43
22K in cash! They (priests) are telling us to live modestly whereas themselves they live the luxury live! They own plots of land, properties, drive nice cars and yet they want more and more.
If it was money collected from people like some are saying, i believe there are some procedures that they should follow and that keeping such amounts of money at their private place of residence is forbidden.
Elizabeth Camilleri
Nov 15th 2012, 14:54
All this hatred towards the man just because he is a priest makes me just sad. Instead of convicting the crime, we make sure that we comment and make everyone know that anything that has to do with the Church is just wrong.
Paul Azzopardi
Nov 15th 2012, 15:43
Simply because the church isn't cut out to be what Jesus Christ meant it to be but a perversion of what he preached moulded into what the corporate church wanted it to be over the centuries. Not exactly go out and preach and help the poor kind of community is it, you got to admit that.
S. Zammit
Nov 15th 2012, 13:50
Funny thing is... He is homeless, yet affords cocaine and heroin & ecstasy??? Hmmm...
Charles Miceli
Nov 15th 2012, 14:33
that's why he is homeless.
Matthew Grima
Nov 15th 2012, 14:38
Isn't that why he's a thief?
G. Ellul
Nov 15th 2012, 18:51
now he does have a home, at least for the next 4 years (or so....)
S. Zammit
Nov 16th 2012, 07:28
Sakemm it's not an excuse... biex kulhadt jithassru :( ....
A Wood
Nov 15th 2012, 13:38
22,000 at his home? Was that a months takings from the church collection box???
M Vella
Nov 15th 2012, 13:18
Isn't it against the Law for some body to keep such a large amount of money at home?
Carmel Garcia
Nov 15th 2012, 14:05
Perhaps it was a collection from donators, collected that day and was ready to be taken to a bank for deposit. Do not judge M Vella.
william cauchi
Nov 15th 2012, 14:29
''Perhaps it was a collection from donors, collected that day''.
22,000 euro In one day?
Many businesses would be quite happy to sell that amount in one week. In fact most turnover that amount in a whole month.
matthew tanti
Nov 15th 2012, 13:13
if you do not have enough money to sustain your habit, you shouldn't let it become a habit. this may mean that only rich people may have certain habits, but that is the way of the world.
Charles Miceli
Nov 15th 2012, 14:32
Its; not a habit. it's an addiction.
http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/addiction
Alvin Laudi (malta)
Nov 15th 2012, 13:10
well.....the strange thing its not that the homeless stole from the priest.....the strange thing is how come a priest has all that cash at home !!!!!
Mario Busuttil
Nov 15th 2012, 13:43
Nahseb li ma jritdx jurihom il Bank!!!!! imma malajr sab min jisraqomlu.....
Jay Oatmon
Nov 15th 2012, 13:09
So this guy finally has a place to stay and free meals etc.
Frank Gauci
Nov 15th 2012, 13:09
22,000 euros from a priest's house???
faqar u kastita!!!
Louis Cutajar
Nov 15th 2012, 13:54
qassis m'għandux vot tal-faqar bħall-patrijiet, dan jista' jaħdem u jżomm il-flus għalih u anke jista' jiret. U dan ma' nafux jekk humiex tiegħu personali, abbli kienu tal-knisja/parrocca fejn jahdem u qed jamministrahom hu, qedgħin għandu biex iħallas etc.
Bernard Bezzina
Nov 15th 2012, 14:15
The priest lived in a house not in a convent so he's a diocesan priest. Only the religious take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Priests, on the other hand, don’t take the same vows as religious. Get you facts right before you comment my goodness. Kulhadd sar bravu!!
Kurt Mifsud
Nov 15th 2012, 20:55
@Bernard - Dan patri imma mhux qassis
Bernard Bezzina
Nov 15th 2012, 23:39
LE KURT MIFSUD dan Qassis igifieri priest - can you get it!! Patri is a friar or a monk. And one last thing the priest lived in a house. If you're in a religious order you live in a covent or a monastery.
Now please don't waste my time anymore.........
Kurt Mifsud
Nov 16th 2012, 18:07
Ghandek zball Bernard u qed nghidlek bic-cert! Dan huwa Patri Frangiskan biex inkun ezatt. U m'ghandekx ghalfejn tkun pastaz biex titkellem mieghi
Anthony Arpa
Nov 15th 2012, 12:50
I dont know these so called homeless people be ... as i never meet with homeless people sleeping outside during the night ... I only meet some people yes sleeping out here outside Paceville but this with tiredness and as they will be completely drunk ...
Cristinu Vella
Nov 15th 2012, 12:35
This must be quickiest CASE in the history of the Maltese courts Bravo Brava Malta. theft 9th November accused sentensed 15 November 2012. things looking good.
Paul Galea
Nov 15th 2012, 12:51
Mela mhux bhal kas tal-qassisin ghax jekk minhiex sejjer zball dam tmienja jew disa snin.
matthew tanti
Nov 15th 2012, 13:10
@paul galea: you are not comparing like with like!
carmel callus
Nov 15th 2012, 13:13
@Paul Galea, x'ghandu x'jaqsam. Dan tressaq il-qorti u ammetta mill-ewwel.
Please choose the reason of your report below: