Updated 4.25pm 

Two women have testified in a human trafficking case about how they worked as prostitutes in Malta after being flown into the country from South America. 

The first witness, a Venezuelan woman, 24, said she worked as a prostitute for "as long as my body could take it" and was told she would get her 55% cut of the earnings when she left Malta to return home.

And the second witness, a 20-year-old Colombian woman, described how she thought she was going to get work as a waitress until she arrived in the country and her 'taxi driver' explained her conditions.

Testifying via video conference, the first woman said she knew what she was coming for when taking up her friend’s suggestion to travel to Malta, explaining that she wanted to earn enough money to buy a house and pay for her daughter’s surgery. 

She was the first of two alleged victims to testify on Tuesday against eight men and a woman charged with involvement in a human trafficking ring that forced women into prostitution.

The accused are Luke Farrugia, 36, a self-employed maintenance worker from Birkirkara, Clint Lawrence D'Amato, a cab driver from Gudja, Denzil Farrugia, 19, a food shop employee from Sliema, Alexandra Suhov Pocora, a 32-year-old Romanian from St Paul's Bay, Kane Vassallo, a 22-year old barber from Siġġiewi, Gordon Cassar, a 44-year-old maintenance worker from Kalkara, Luca Emanuele Corito, 21 from Senglea, Dylan McKay, a 30-year old taxi driver from Fgura and Nicolae Efimov, 37 from St Paul's Bay.

They deny money laundering, setting up a criminal organization, enticing people over the age of 21, through violent or fraudulent means, to travel to Malta for prostitution purposes, holding the alleged victims against their will at a brothel, and living off the earnings of prostitution.

The woman said she started offering her sexual services the very next day after arriving in Malta, working on a daily basis.

She was free to go out if she wished but she said that she never did, opting instead to work.

After setting off flight ticket expenses which totaled close to €4,000, the woman said that she earned another €5,000 to €6,500 over a fortnight, until police zoomed in on the racket and entered the apartment where she and other women worked.

'Good money in Malta'

Her female friend at the shopping mall where they both worked back home, first spoke to the witness about Malta and the work opportunities available.

Her friend loved to travel to different places. 

She told the witness that she could earn “good money in Malta” and that there would be “no problems.” 

The two women traveled to Malta together, taking a flight from Madrid and landing at the Malta International Airport on June 24. All travel expenses were covered. 

She had received her flight tickets for the round trip via email directly from an airline company. 

“The boss is coming. He’ll give you all the information,” announced her friend the morning after their arrival.

The ‘boss’ was a tall, fat and bald guy whom the witness referred to as “Miguel.” Later in Tuesday’s hearing, the woman identified Clint Lawrence D’Amato as the man who had set out her work conditions. 

Work hours were flexible and cash payments from clients were to be shared. She was to take 55% of the takings after setting off the cost of her flight.

Appointments fixed by 'Miguel'

She did not fix appointments with clients. Those were scheduled by 'Miguel' who would text her to “open the door” when a client stood outside. 'Miguel' spoke some Spanish but they used Google translate to help them along. 

He also established her work rates. €50 for 30 minutes and €100 for one hour. 

“Miguel told me to be a good worker….to be focused on work….to earn money. To have enough money to go back home.” 

When she felt tired, she would let him know and he would tell her to rest and continue when she felt up to it. 

She was not expected to work around the clock. 

“I worked for as long as my body could take it," she said.

Clients paid her in cash. Miguel would tell her to draw up her bills and leave all the money on a table inside the apartment. 

She was to get her share once she decided to leave Malta. 

“How will I get my money now that they’ve been arrested,” she questioned. 

She set aside €25 a day to cover her accommodation and bought clothes, ice creams and other daily needs out of tips she got from clients. 

The most she ever earned in one day was around €1,500 to €1,700. After cancelling the €3,850 debt she owed for the flight ticket, she reckoned that she had earned €5,000 to €6,500 over a fortnight. 

She could have left once her ten-day tourist stay was over but she chose to stay. 

“I wanted to earn more,” said the witness, explaining that she wished to buy a house and pay for her daughter’s surgery. 

During her stay, she had forwarded €600 to her family in Colombia. Miguel had also handed her €780 for a new iPhone she wished to buy.

She came “to work and have a better future," she said.

'Google 'Sliema, Malta'

A 20-year-old Colombian woman, who lived at the same apartment as the first witness, also testified on Tuesday. Neither women mentioned the location of the apartments but in a previous hearing, the inspector spoke of apartments in the area of Msida and Gżira.

She heard about Malta through a male friend back in her homeland who put her in touch with his female friend who “had contacts” and could make all necessary arrangements for her to travel to the island. 

Her friend told her to Google “Sliema Malta.” 

“I did and I immediately liked it. I wanted to come," she said.

She received a prepaid flight ticket via email and landed in Malta on August 8. Her contact had told her that she would be met by a man who would be her taxi driver, taking her around the island. 

She meant to stay for a temporary visit, possibly working as a waitress at some café or discotheque. 

But when she was chauffeured to the apartment, she immediately realized that she was in for some other kind of work. 

There were condoms and other sex-related items in three of the bedrooms at the duplex apartment. A fourth bedroom was to be shared by the four women who offered their services at the flat. 

“In Colombia it’s illegal to work as prostitute. I didn’t know that it wasn’t in Malta,” said the witness, explaining that back in her homeland she worked as a beautician.

She had “some clients” to whom she gave sexual services as an aside.

She wished to join her sister in Bilbao but lacked the means to cover flight expenses. But when she looked up Malta on the map, she realized that it was not too far from Bilbao.

'Back in Colombia, I earned very little'

So she decided to come to Malta and do enough work to cover travel expenses to Bilbao. 

“Back in Columbia, I earned very little. The work I did in Malta earned much more. I earned enough for the whole family. I did what I did for my mother who lost her job when I was 15.” 

Her “taxi driver” who explained her work conditions and drove her to appointments outside the flat, was “Elmo.” 

She later explained that “Elmo” was the same person whom her flatmates called “Miguel.” She too identified the “fat, bald and bearded man” as D’Amato. 

He had told her to charge €50 for a 30-minute job, involving one penetration and €70 for an hour involving two penetrations. 

Additional charges for extras, such as kisses, fondling or oral sex as requested by the client, were taken by her. 

She had only been in Malta for four days when police raided the apartment. 

During that time, she twice worked as an escort at a private residence and at “a very beautiful hotel.” 

“Elmo took good care of us…He waited for us when he drove us to some other place,” said the witness. 

When she first arrived at the flat, he had asked for pictures of herself “in bikinis or underwear” and also “pretty pictures of her face.” 

She agreed to do so.

“As a waitress, you suffer. It’s easier and more comfortable to work from home," she told the court.

The case continues next week. 

Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech is presiding. AG lawyers Ramon Bonett Sladden and Charmaine Abdilla prosecuted, together with Inspectors John Spiteri, Joseph Xerri and Dorianne Tabone. Lawyers Franco Debono, Marion Camilleri, Roberto Montalto, Joe Giglio, Michaela Giglio, Charles Mercieca, Kathleen Calleja Grima, Nicholas Mifsud and Etienne Borg Ferranti are defence counsel. Lawyers Lara Dimitrjevic and Stephanie Caruana appeared parte civile.