Two Indonesian women were remanded in custody yesterday after pleading not guilty to the theft of €280,000 from a Swieqi villa where one of them worked as a housekeeper.

Police Inspector Elton Taliana told Magistrate Consuelo Scerri that Herrera Elsih Rohman Balimulia, 27, worked as a housekeeper for a Libyan businessman.

Police investigations indicated she had stolen the money and passed them on to Soraya Meyer, 50, who lived in a nearby villa. The two had met by chance and become friends.

Ms Balimulia, who told the court she was a student apart from working as a housekeeper, gained access to a safe from which she took the money on four different occasions, the officer said.

The theft allegedly occurred on and before September 30.

He said the police had documented evidence of a Western Union transfer of €60,000 to Indonesia. They also found €2,000 in cash at Ms Meyer’s house and €9,000 had been returned to the businessman.

Police investigations into the theft were still under way, the office informed the court.

Magistrate Scerri Herrera also heard that the Libyan man had unsuccessfully approached his housekeeper asking her to return the cash before taking the matter to the police.

It resulted in court that Ms Balimulia admitted her involvement with the police. The police inspector said the accused had posted photographs that also featured a stash €500 notes allegedly stolen from the safe.

In court, the two women denied the theft and money laundering charges brought against them. They did not ask for bail and were remanded in custody.

The magistrate also ordered that all their assets be frozen.

Lawyer Simon Micallef Stafrace was defence counsel.