A 44-year-old man granted a presidential pardon last week was arraigned this afternoon for defrauding the Ta' Xbiex local council.

Gaetano Gatt from Hamrun appeared before Magistrate Anthony Vella charged with fraud, forging a signature, making use of false documents, handling stolen goods and relapsing.

He is pleading not guilty.

Back in February, Mr Gatt allegedly bought two blank cheques from third parties for the price of €60. It is understood that the person him who sold him the cheques is now deceased.

The accused filled them out to himself with the amount of €480 and scribbled fake signatures, to the detriment of the Ta' Xbiex local council.

Lawyer Simon Micallef Stafrace entered a request for bail, which was upheld by the court against a €600 deposit and a personal guarantee of €4,000.

Police inspectors Jonathan Ferris and Lara Butters prosecuted.

On May 30, this newspaper reported that Mr Gatt was seeking a presidential pardon after ending up behind bars due to a judicial technicality.

Mr Gatt had been sentenced to two months imprisonment by a Court of Appeals for not paying his estranged wife child support. According to law, if the money owed is paid in the interim, the prison sentence may be converted to a fine. However, the rule of law also states that, once a judgment is delivered in open court, that judgment cannot be rescinded.

A few seconds after Madam Justice Edwina Grima read out the sentence, confirming that which had been handed out by a previous court, Mr Gatt informed the court that he had the money on his person. However, since the judgment had already been delivered, he had to be taken to prison.

His former wife told this newspaper that Mr Gatt owed her some €14,000.