A mother and daughter who worked as chambermaids have been acquitted of stealing some €600 in cash after a magistrate called the victims’ credibility into question.

Emanuela Camilleri, 41, of Swieqi, and her 26-year-old daughter Kirsten, of Gżira, had been charged with stealing the money from the hotel room of a Russian tourist, Omeros Karapetyan, who said he left the money in the drawer of a bedside table.

The alleged theft took place on August 15, 2011, from the St Paul’s Bay Hotel.

The accused are the wife and daughter of drug convict Mario Camilleri, known as L-Imnieħru.

Mr Karapetyan said that when he went to his room he found the accused cleaning and saw that the money had gone missing.

Magistrate Audrey Demicoli heard how at first a Russian travel agent, who stepped in as an interpreter, told the hotel staff that €100 had gone missing.

The figure was then raised to €400 and again to €650.

Mr Karapetyan said the money was inside the bedside table but his wife said it was on top, where they had left it to dry after the bank notes got wet during a trip to the beach.

Magistrate Demicoli acquitted the women after noting the discrepancies in the alleged victims’ testimony, adding there were no witnesses to the alleged crime.