Businessman jailed for defrauding furniture customers
Clients were meant to receive furniture from Sicily but never got the furniture or their deposits back
Updated 5.20pm
A businessman has been jailed for two years for defrauding customers who paid deposits on imported furniture orders.
Giordano Domenico Perucchini, 56, from Pavia, Italy, was investigated after several consumers filed reports against him.
Perucchini's customers told police they never received the goods despite paying a 50% deposit on furniture orders placed with Estea Furniture, which was meant to import the furniture from Sicily.
According to the customers, the seller repeatedly provided excuses for failing to deliver the furniture. They also never received refunds for the money they had paid.
Five customers requested the Financial Crimes Investigation Department investigate Perucchini and his partner, both in their personal capacities and as representatives of Estea Furniture.
Court proceedings revealed that police had received additional complaints concerning the company, prompting officers to arraign Perucchini.
In a statement given to Inspector Eman Hayman, Perucchini explained that the standard practice was for customers to pay a 50% deposit, after which the furniture order would immediately be placed with the relevant supplier.
He said he worked with more than 100 companies, including Arredo 3, Cateland, GSG and Target, but maintained that his main point of contact had always been a single individual based in Palermo.
He said the name 'Estea' belonged to the previous operators of the showroom and that he had always operated under the name GDP. According to the accused, 'Estea' was a business run by Salvatore Oddo of Palermo, who worked with the company Pizzimenti, which was also active in Palermo.
He said he had collaborated with Pizzimenti for some time and that when Oddo decided to leave Malta, he transferred the business to him. He added that Oddo continued to handle the warranties associated with Estea.
The accused said supply chain difficulties began when his agent in Palermo ceased providing delivery services, forcing him to arrange transport from Sicily himself.
According to Perucchini, the situation created operational difficulties for his business. He also stated that the normal period between the payment of a deposit and the delivery of furniture was approximately three months.
Nevertheless, Perucchini told the court that he had been going through a difficult period because his partner had become seriously ill. He also claimed that he himself had been defrauded by third parties.
Although Perucchini was facing accusations of aggravated fraud, the court only found him guilty of misappropriation.
Magistrate Nadine Sant Lia noted that the furniture dealer had not set up a wholly fictitious enterprise. Perucchini had a physical showroom, held a VAT number, and sometimes engaged in work relating to his trade, and so the elements of fraud did not subsist.
The court sentenced him to two years’ imprisonment and ordered him to reimburse the victims the total amount of €28,900.
In addition, the court ordered the convicted man to pay €4,415 in fees relating to court-appointed experts.
Perucchini was assisted by lawyer José Herrera. The victims were assisted by lawyers Mariah Mula and Matthew Xuereb.