A Japanese theft victim was outraged yesterday as the court system left him to deal with delays and paranoia because proceedings were carried out in Maltese.

They can keep the money. I just want to be left alone

“I’m the victim here, not the criminal!” said Mitsuhiro Sakamoto, the owner of Gochi sushi restaurant in St Julians, moments after giving evidence. He intends to take the matter to the European Court.

It took two men 20 minutes to clean him out of €14,000 – his entire Easter holiday sales – and they were caught clearly on CCTV footage.

The accused, Joseph Anthony Cini, 42, of Valletta, and Stephen Abdilla, 41, of Marsa, were identified by restaurant manager Masako Hirota, who testified she saw the men on CCTV footage.

A third man, Alfred Mazzitelli, 50, of Pembroke, a former employee of Mr Sakamoto and former Labour party local councillor, is also charged with aiding the men and committing a crime he was duty bound to prevent.

In the case, Mr Sakamoto has been summoned to court twice and both were horrid experiences. The first time he was left waiting for hours, only to be told the police had made a mistake and one of the accused had not been notified and so the case was put off.

In yesterday’s sitting, he felt exposed and scared after having to testify before the men he believes stole from him.

He said: “I was asked where I live with the men looking and listening – and all this when they are out on bail.” An angry Mr Sakamoto asked how the accused could be granted bail against a measly €330 deposit when he was left €14,000 out of pocket.

Even though he has a lawyer, he feels he should be able to listen to everything in English but because everything is in Maltese he feels paranoid.

This feeling is compounded by the fact that he saw policeman, lawyers and the accused sharing a joke outside the court room and as a foreigner this left him very worried and thinking the worst.

His exasperation means he wants nothing further to do with the case and is refusing to go to court again.

Mr Sakamoto said police have recovered €1,000 of the missing money but he does not want it back. “They can keep the money. I just want to be left alone.”

Mr Sakamoto intends to take the matter of proceedings being conducted in Maltese to the European Courts and wants to set up a petition so that others who have been outdone by the court system can speak up too.