Handwritten ledgers found by police at the home of one of the suspected agents in the social benefits racket indicated that beneficiaries paid sums which were split between former MP Silvio Grixti and the go-betweens, a court heard on Wednesday.

Details of how those allegedly involved in the scam got paid and how the police found out, were revealed  at the compilation of evidence against Grixti who, along with four other co-accused, is facing charges for alleged involvement in a large-scale disability benefit racket.

Grixti is alleged to have played a central role by providing applicants with false medical certificates which secured them the severe disability allowance after they appeared before a medical board. Co-accused Roger Agius, Emmanuel Spagnol, Dustin Caruana and Luke Saliba allegedly acted as agents or go-betweens, raking in payments from the successful beneficiaries.

Financial crimes investigator Inspector Shaun Friggieri told the court that one entry in those ledgers found at Emmanuel Spagnol’s Zejtun residence showed that Grixti had received “€2,000 plus €40 for the paperwork.”  

Friggieri supported his lengthy testimony with a PowerPoint presentation as he explained how he worked on data extracted from the laptop and mobile phone seized by cybercrime officers during a search at Grixti’s Ghaxaq clinic.

He said that some persons named in certificates found on Grixti’s laptop opted for silence when questioned by the police. Others named the Zejtun doctor as the person who had supplied the papers presented to the medical board so that they could get the benefits.

Enticed to apply for benefits in a bar in Tarxien

Others said that they were “enticed to apply for the benefits at a bar in Tarxien,” explained Friggieri.

That bar was later identified as Espadan Bar which appeared to have some connection to Dustin Caruana , who is among those being prosecuted over his alleged role in the racket.

“We spoke to a vast number of people, suspects,” went on Friggieri.

And as the police delved deeper, a modus operandi emerged and the name of ‘Roger’ cropped up.

One beneficiary claimed that after visiting Grixti, he was contacted by Roger Agius who asked for a payment and after starting to receive the benefits, the beneficiary paid €5,000.

Other beneficiaries gave a similar account.

Police checked that information against phone chats and confirmed that the two tallied.

One chat made reference to an offer to wash Grixti’s car.

Another chat between ‘Roger’ and a third party discussed the wrong spelling of one prospective applicant’s name.

“U ijja. Billi tmur sena habs. Hemmhekk kollox b’xejn!….Meta jkollok kollox ibghatli,” read one message from Roger.

That chat corresponded to the writing on the relative medical certificate, explained Friggieri.

“Jeff working folder”

A number of certificates in Grixti’s computer were saved in a subfolder titled, “Jeff working folder.”

‘Jeff’ was eventually tracked down as Jeffrey Zammit who, when questioned by police, said that Grixti and Agius had sought his assistance to create soft copies of documents in such manner that they could be modified.

He later told police that he never suspected that those documents were to be used “for such matters.”

Elderly man approached potential applicants “out in the fields”

A number of beneficiaries said that they had been encouraged to apply for the benefits by an elderly man who would approach them “out on the fields.”

Each applicant was asked to pay €4,000.

The “elderly man” was identified as Emmanuel Spagnol who was targeted by “one of the fastest arrests,” said Friggieri.

The inspector had actually chanced upon Spagnol who was accompanying one of the charged beneficiaries to his court hearing.

“In fact, Spagnol was told of his arrest in the court corridor and his lawyer was close by.”

The man first led police to a Zejtun residence claiming to live there. But the key in his possession did not match even though that property was registered in Spagnol’s name.

Police then managed to track down another Zejtun property belonging to Spagnol.

That was where they found the ledgers with figures indicating sums paid by beneficiaries for the allowance.

A made-up script - beneficiary told to blame late MP

One beneficiary first named late MP Silvio Parnis as the person who first introduced her to the benefits scheme. But under further questioning, she admitted that that was not true.

“I was simply following a prepared script that was given to me,” said the beneficiary.

She was told to stick to that version if questioned by the police.

The case continues.

AG lawyers Abigail Caruana Vella and Charmaine Abdilla together with Inspectors Wayne R Borg, Andy Rotin and Shaun Friggieri prosecuted.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Arthur Azzopardi are counsel to Grixti.

Lawyer Jason Azzopardi is counsel to Agius.

Lawyers Michael Sciriha and Roberto Spiteri are counsel to Caruana and Spagnol.

Lawyers Jose Herrera and Matthew Xuereb are counsel to Saliba.

Lawyer Anita Giordmaina appeared parte civile for the Social Security department.