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A court heard a harrowing account on Monday of how a married man was ruthlessly blackmailed and forced to pay thousands of euros after seeking prostitution services.
The 71-year-old told police the violent and relentless extortion racket even caused him to suffer a stroke after he was coerced into transferring €14,000 into a prostitute’s account in exchange for the attackers shutting up.
Meanwhile, the man accused of extorting thousands of euros from a client who regularly sought sexual favours from his mother admitted his only fault was “eating and drinking lavishly”.
Inspector Stephen Gulia said: “He claimed he could not bear to see his mother being used for sexual favours.”
The inspector testified in detail that the alleged extortion took place when the alleged victim decided to seek help from the police.
His report to the Valletta Police Station in June led to the arrest of three men and three women who were suspected of playing different roles in the prostitution racket that began in January 2022.
Siblings Clyde and Mario Maria, Massimo Fasanelli, and mother and daughter Christine, Xasnolley Schembri and Chanelle Spiteri have all pleaded not guilty to money laundering and other criminal offences related to the alleged racketeering.
The incident happened more than two years ago when the 69-year-old victim, who was married at the time, went to the woman’s home to provide sexual services.
This was not the first time the two had met, they often met at her home in Għaxaq or other places.
But during that event, patrons came face to face with the prostitutes’ sons, Clyde and Mario Maria.
An argument ensued and Clyde allegedly headbutted the tourist on the nose during the commotion.
The victim was allegedly ordered to transfer €5,000 from his bank account to a third party account.
Out of fear, the man accessed his bank account in front of the alleged attacker, who immediately increased his demand to €14,000 after noticing his account balance.
The victim gave in and transferred the money to the account of another prostitute, Chanel Spiteri, who was introduced to the man by Marías’ mother.
That’s where the matter ends.
Gulia explained that the mother of Maria and her siblings had passed away.
But despite the violent confrontation with the Maria siblings in January 2022, the alleged victim continued to seek sexual favors from Spiteri.
“I made a mistake. But I kept going,” the victim later admitted, recounting his experience to police.
Two months after the violence at the prostitute’s home, the victim suffered a stroke.
The doctor confirmed that the stroke was caused by some kind of blunt force trauma. The patient remained silent, afraid to talk about the beating he had suffered because doing so might expose his status as a married man.
Two years later in May, as the man was waiting for Spiteri near her home in Mtarfa, a car drove up.
Clyde Maria, his brother Mario and their friend Fasanelli stepped out.
They approached the prostitute’s client, ordered him to get into their car and drove him to their residence in Għaxaq, threatening and intimidating him along the way.
They touched his thigh with a stun gun and demanded more money.
On the same day, a further €1,300 was transferred from the victim’s account to Xasnolley’s Revolut account.
Clyde Mallia allegedly took the victim’s bank card and left the Ghaxaq residence.
Financial transaction details subsequently checked by police confirmed the victim’s account, showing that the victim had withdrawn €3,000 in multiple installments of €500 that day.
Marias and Fasanelli then drove the victim home and stole a Seiko watch worth €80, €200 in cash and two hard drives containing sex videos of the man with two prostitutes.
Over the next few days, they continued to demand money, which the victim complied with in the hope of putting an end to the ordeal.
But in June this year, Clyde Mallia allegedly threatened to hand over the victim to his wife and daughter unless “he included him in his will or handed over €150,000 or €40,000”.
Maria took the victim’s car, a Hyundai electric model worth about 40,000 euros, and threatened: “Unless you do one of these three things, you won’t get your car back.”
This was the last straw for the victim. He finally decided to break his silence and went to the police station with his lawyer.
His report sparked a district court investigation and led to arrest warrants for all six suspects.
The detective concluded his lengthy testimony by saying that the total amount extorted was €33,200, in addition to the victim’s vehicle, a stolen Seiko watch, a hard drive and another €200 in cash.
Christine Schembrey told police she knew the money her daughter’s boyfriend, Clyde, transferred into her account was “dirty … from crime”.
“But he (Clyde) never paid a penny in this house. At least he paid these,” she told police.
Her daughter Xasnolley also knew the money came from the victims.
Mario Maria told police that his brother and Fasanelli were the “masterminds” and that he was “just in cahoots with them.”
Spiteri and Fasanelli chose to remain silent during their interrogation.
Clyde Mallia confirmed that he had head-butted the victim two years ago but denied asking for the first €14,000, which she had demanded after he threatened to tell his wife about his encounters with prostitutes.
He kept a sex video of the victim and her mother in a “safe place” and refused to hand it over to police.
But Malia told police that his anger would reignite whenever he saw the photos from time to time.
“My mistake was overeating,” he allegedly admitted.
The court ruled today that there was sufficient prima facie evidence to support the six co-defendants to stand trial.
The case, which is being presided over by Magistrate Leonard Caruana, continues.
Attorney General’s lawyers Darlene Grima and Charmaine Abdilla prosecuted the case along with Inspectors Stephen Gulia and Andrew Agius Bonello.
Attorneys Franco Debono and Adreana Zammit served as legal counsel to the Mallia couple.
Attorney Herman Mula is Fasanelli’s legal advisor.
Lawyers Mario Mifsud and Nicholas Mifsud and attorney-at-law Colin Galea were Schembris’ legal advisors.
Attorney Francesca Zarb is counsel for Spiteri lawyers Michael Sciriha and Roberto Spiteri.
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