Lost driving licence costs man his job

A man, whose mislaid driving licence was used by fraudsters, lost his job when the police repeatedly called him in for questioning, a court has heard.

Magistrate Giovanni Grixti heard how the police traced a series of forged cheques, issued from a stolen cheque book belonging to Rustica Limited, to Daren Sammut because fraudsters had used his driving licence, which they had tampered with, as a means of identification when they purchased items with the stolen cheque book.

Keith John Harrington, 24, of Sta Venera, and Michelle Mizzi, 32, of Kalkara, are pleading not guilty to forging the signature of the director of Rustica Limited onto HSBC cheques, tampering with Sammut's driving licence and the malicious use of the forged documents between March 1 and July 10.

They are also charged with defrauding several people of Lm1,000 while Harrington is also charged with stealing the cheque book on March 17 and Silvio Desira's bag on June 29.

Magistrate Grixti heard Sammut explain that about two years ago he lost his driving licence and filed a report.

Two years later he received the first of a series of phone calls from the police asking him to go to a police station. The police would ask him if he had bought mobile phones and he would deny it. They then showed him cheques signed in his name but he insisted he never even owned a cheque book.

Sammut explained there was a time when the police called for him about 13 times in the span of a week while he was at work. This caused problems at work with his employer who became suspicious and he eventually lost his job.

The case continues.

Inspectors Mario Bonello and Alexandra Mamo are prosecuting.