The VAT Commissioner has filed a garnishee order to the tune of €308,809 against Mambra Electronics, the shop where some clients were left have been left high and dry after it suddenly closed down.

The garnishee order was filed yesterday in the first hall of the Civil Court and it follows two others filed separately earlier this month by private companies that are also owed money by Mambra.

On August 10, John G. Cassar Ltd and Emmanuel Vella & Sons Ltd filed separate garnishee orders with the Magistrates Court for amounts that ran into a couple of thousands.

Mambra director Joseph Pavia is believed to have left Malta and his family claim they do not know where he is.

The Luqa shop closed for "a long shutdown" in July but it never re-opened at the beginning of August as had been announced. It is unclear when Mr Pavia may have departed but his sister, who also worked at the shop, informed employees not to return to work a day before the shutdown was to end.

Two former employees are claiming they are owed thousands in unpaid wages, notice money and unclaimed leave.

In the weeks before closing the shop, Mambra was taking full payment from customers for goods that still had to be delivered in exchange for attractive prices. The goods never arrived and a number of customers ended up without the products they had purchased.