Three men and a woman yesterday pleaded guilty to participating in an insurance fraud racket that targeted eight companies between 2009 and 2013.

Ivan Degiovanni, 33, was sentenced to 20 months in prison suspended for two years and ordered to do 300 hours of community work for defrauding Atlas Insurance of more than €5,000, Untours Insurance of between €500 and €5,000 and attempting to defraud Gasan Mamo Insurance.

Charmaine De Giovanni, 23, who defrauded Untours of €3,500, was sentenced to nine months imprisonment suspended for a year and will do 100 hours of community work. She was also placed under a supervision order for a year.

Chris Vassallo, 22, from Qormi, was also placed on probation and ordered to carry out 40 hours of community work for defrauding Untours Insurance Brokers. The sum involved exceeded €5,000. The court noted that he was acting under pressure from his father.

Joseph Sultana, 38, also of Qormi, was sentenced to nine months imprisonment suspended for a year and ordered to do 60 hours of community work for defrauding Untours.

The four were among 22 people who were arraigned on charges of fraud since last January. Proceedings against the others are still pending.