Two Italians were yesterday jailed for five months for importing stolen luxury vehicles into Malta, after driving them over a few days before Christmas.
Neapolitans Luigi Cirella, 37, and Luciano Siviglia, 50, both pleaded guilty but avoided a longer prison term because the value of the cars was not proven in court.
Another Italian, Erasmo Decesare, and a Maltese, Joseph Chetcuti, denied the charge and their cases were transferred to another magistrate.
Mr Decesare is facing additional charges related to the importation of cannabis and conspiracy to deal in drugs.
Police discovered that all four cars had been stolen from Italy in the previous months
He was the first to be arrested on his arrival from Pozzallo by catamaran, driving a Mini Cooper, on December 21.
Investigations led the police to a garage in Għargħur where they found another three cars – a Mercedes ML, a Mercedes S Class and a Range Rover Evoque – all worth tens of thousands of euro each.
They then discovered that all four cars had been stolen from Italy in the previous months and all had stolen Italian registration plates.
Magistrate Marseann Farrugia warned the men they faced a maximum punishment of seven years but both Mr Cirella and Mr Siviglia insisted on pleading guilty.
In the end they were sentenced to prison for five months, largely because the magistrate accepted the defence’s argument that since the prosecution had not brought evidence on the actual value of the cars, the court could only rely on the minimum value set by law, which is €2,300.
The men had told the police they believed the cars had been hired for Italians in Malta, not stolen.
Mr Cirella said that while he was waiting toboard the catamaran, he looked for the log book in the glove compartment but found nothing. It was then that he suspected the car could have been stolen.
On his part, Mr Siviglia said he was an honest person and was scared. He had been told, allegedly by Mr Chetcuti, that the cars were rentals and were being delivered to Italians who would then drive them back to Italy.
Police Inspector Carlos Cordina prosecuted.