A man who claimed he was threatened with a pistol to his head and then locked in a mobile toilet for hours by a man demanding a loan repayment has been jailed for 17 months after a court found the story was false.

The case was filed by the police against Olaf Cini, a man with previous fraud convictions.

He was accused of having, on May 2008, filed a false report against Publius (Leo) Said, who was subsequently taken to court and found innocent.

The case stemmed from a loan of Lm800 (€1,840) which Mr Cini had taken from Ina Abrekova, Mr Said's partner in 2005.

Mr Cini said that after he was released from prison in 2007 he was harassed and threatened by Mr Said demanding repayment of the loan with interest for a total of Lm4,000 (€9,200).

Mr Said said Mr Cini had initially used a false name to get his loan. He however identified him and tracked him down, but he still held off payment for many months.

When he contacted him again, Mr Cini’s partner, Marthese Camilleri offered to guarantee payment if the funds were not refunded within a year.

Two months later, Ms Camilleri told him Mr Cini had the money, but he was spending it elsewhere.

Mr Said met Mr Cini, who said his mother was sending him money from Canada. Ina Abrekova suggested they take Mr Cini’s watch and bracelet as a guarantee.

Mr Cini subsequently claimed he was robbed of the items, while Mr Said said they were taken as a guarantee and a document had been signed accordingly.

Mr Said was shortly after called at police headquarters where it was alleged that he had put a pistol to Mr Cini's head, demanding payment, and that during their meeting he locked him in a mobile toilet for several hours by blocking its door from the outside.

Mr Said denied the claims, pointing out that Ms Camilleri had stepped in as guarantor of the funds.

Ms Camilleri eventually paid the money to Mr Said in 2009.

In finding Mr Cini guilty of a false report, the court noted he had not immediately reported to the police about his allegations. He had actually met Mr Said after the incident where he claimed to have been threatened with a pistol.

There was no evidence to back the alleged claims and, furthermore, Mr Said had not needed to carry out those alleged actions when Ms Camilleri had guaranteed that she would pay him if Mr Cini did not. Mr Said also had the watch (worth €1,600) and bracelet as additional guarantees. 

In condemning Mr Cini to jail, the court also imposed a general interdiction of 15 years.