Dead man's cheques used for €25,000 fraud

Kenneth Camilleri, 31, from Qormi, this morning pleading not guilty to widescale aggravated fraud worth some 25,000.

Police Inspector Jonathan Ferris said in court that together with another man, Mr Camilleri used cheques belonging to a dead man, Saviour Grima, and posed as ship chandlers for a company, Salvo Grima & Commercial Sons Ltd.

The two men picked out their targets from the Yellow Pages and would purchase everything from coffee to televisions. They paid the suppliers with cheque belonging to Saviour Grima. Mr Grima had no heirs and so this went unnoticed.

The accused then sold on the items and whatever was made was profit.

The accused was caught on CCTV.

During the arraignment, Mr Camilleri pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Bail was not requested and he was remanded in custody.