A jobless man fooled a businessman into “investing” about €750,000 in a fictitious project forcing him to borrow money from family members and sell his house and business, police officers testified.
Police Constable Duncan Vella said 45-year-old Joseph Friggieri from Msida convinced Joseph Spiteri he was planning a big project that would yield a fortune through lucrative contracts with SmartCity. Mr Friggieri has several other cases in which he allegedly defrauded other businessman.
The witness said Mr Friggieri told Mr Spiteri, who he had known for about three years as he used to purchase goods from his Buġibba shop, that he had good contacts within the Infrastructure Ministry. He mentioned Minister Austin Gatt, the head of secretariat, Manuel Delia, Malta Information Technology Agency chairman Claudio Grech and a certain Philip Azzopardi.
Mr Spiteri told the police he had to sell his business and home and borrow money from his family to pay Mr Friggieri the amounts he had asked for. He also had to fork out €40,000 to cover a huge bill after booking several rooms at a hotel for a delegation of Italians who had to come to Malta in connection with the project. The Italians never turned up but the bill had to be paid anyway.
Mr Spiteri also told the police he frequently received calls from people claiming to be Minister Gatt, Mr Delia and once from someone claiming to be Josef Bonnici, the Central Bank Governor, who told him the cheque for the project would be issued soon.
PC Vella said Mr Friggieri was called in for questioning and released two statements, one of them on the hotel issue.
He admitted to deceiving Mr Spiteri into booking the hotel and said he had used about €175,000 he received from Mr Spiteri to pay off some debts he had because he was the victim of usury. He said he had filed two police reports about threats he received but never mentioned the people who were threatening him by name for the police to investigate them.
WPC Marcelle Mifsud said she was present for Mr Friggieri’s interrogation, during which he admitted to having received €25,000 in cash from Mr Spiteri and another €150,000 through 30 cheques.
He said he was sorry for what he had done and just wanted to find a job to be able to pay back Mr Spiteri. He said he had never submitted any application for government tenders as he told Mr Spiteri he would do.
In July, Mr Friggieri was also accused of having defrauded two businessmen of €55,000 by promising them contracts after posing as a friend of Mr Delia.
The case continues.
Lawyer Charmaine Cherret appeared for the accused.