Two of the accused, Florin Lepadatu and Ionut Diaconu, walking out of court yesterday.

A Maltese man who acted as an intermediary for a business deal involving a Russian firm in 2007 got a surprise visit by four Romanian men who threatened him and his family, giving him 24 hours to pay €4.2 million after the deal went wrong.

“We know where you live, what cars you drive, where your children go to school and even where you take them to play football... If you do not pay within 24 hours you will be very sorry because there is your family involved,” the men told the Maltese intermediary.

His name is not being mentioned to protect his identity.

The four men  Marian Andrisca, 31, twins Ionut Diaconu and Marius Gabriel Diaconu, 37, and Florin Lepadatu, 36  appeared before Magistrate Josette Demicoli yesterday afternoon and pleaded guilty to threatening the man outside his house on Thursday evening.

The court jailed them for two years, suspended for four years, and fined them €500 each, giving them until Monday to pay.

Magistrate Demicoli also issued a three-year protection order in favour of the Maltese man and his entire family.

If you do not pay within 24 hours you will be very sorry because there is your family involved

She heard how the Russian businessman – whose name was not mentioned in court – sent the men to Malta because he wanted to recover the money he had lost when a business deal went wrong. Sources said the amount was €4.2 million.

Sources said the deal, struck in 2007, was over the purchase of a large quarry in Mellieħa which the Russian tycoon was planning to develop into luxury apartments.

A year later, a promise of sale agreement was signed, with the Maltese man acting as an intermediary and representing the Russian development firm.

Sources said two tranches were paid, amounting to €4.2 million, but the third payment was unsuccessful. Later that year the Russian firm encountered financial difficulties and was wound up.

The contract fell through but efforts were made to recover the money, through pressure on the Maltese intermediary. The land owner refused, claiming that the contract had been breached so the deposit was lost.

After not hearing from the Russian businessman for almost eight years, the Maltese intermediary was approached by the Romanian men who gave him 24 hours to pay the money.

They threatened him and told him that if he did not pay, he would be sorry as his family was at stake.

They pleaded guilty to threatening the man, causing him to fear that violence would be used against him and misusing telecommunications equipment. They also admitted to breaching the peace.

Police inspectors Jason Sultana and John Spiteri prosecuted while lawyer Noel Bianco appeared for the men.