A convicted fraudster conned two businessmen out of €55,000 by posing as a good friend of a top government official and promising them contracts, a court heard yesterday.

Joseph Friggieri of St Paul’s Bay, who is 45 and unemployed, told Mario and Emanuel Borg that he was a friend of Emanuel Delia, the head of the secretariat within the IT Ministry, Police Inspector Maurice Curmi said.

The accused told them he could pull some strings so that they would be awarded tenders for the Smart City project, the inspector added.

Sources said Mr Friggieri would allegedly pretend to be on the phone with Mr Delia in front of the men and sort out any “problems”.

The accused, who has already been convicted on previous charges of fraud, yesterday approached the reporters in the court room and asked them to leave his name out since he had an 80-year-old mother who wouldn’t take it lightly.

He pleaded not guilty to defrauding the men and trading in influence this month and in previous months.

Magistrate Joseph Apap Bologna granted him bail against a personal guarantee of €1,000.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Charmaine Cherrett appeared for the accused.