Man and woman charged with circulating fake money
Court remands man in custody but allows woman out on bail
A man and a woman have been charged with circulating false currency in Paola earlier this month.
Clinton Bugeja Camilleri, 39, and a woman who cannot be named under court order were charged separately with similar crimes on Sunday.
The two stand accused of having circulated false currency on at least two separate occasions this month. Both pleaded not guilty to charges.
Police Inspector Gabriel Kitcher told the court that the issue came to the police’s attention after a senior citizen reported that a woman with a pram and a child had approached him and asked him to break a €20 note for her.
The note looked genuine but had the words “prop copy” printed on it.
Two days later, police received another, similar report. Descriptions of the woman matched and police then moved to arrest her and Bugeja Camilleri. They also seized a pram, a court heard.
A court agreed to grant the woman bail against a €7,000 personal guarantee at the request of her lawyer, who noted that she had a clean criminal record. Prosecutors did not object. They also raised no objection to the accused's personal details being banned from publication.
The prosecution however objected to granting Bugeja Camilleri bail, arguing that he was in breach of bail conditions issued in a separate case he faces. A court refused the bail request and he was remanded in custody.
Bugeja Camilleri rose to public attention some years back when he campaigned on social media against a reform of drug laws, arguing it would allow traffickers to get away with carrying 500 ecstasy pills.
The prosecution against both accused was led by Attorney General lawyer Clive Aquilina and police inspectors Gabriel Kitcher, Karen Kamen Cassar and Francesca Maria Calleja.
Bugeja Camilleri was represented by lawyer Silvan Pulis. The woman was represented by lawyer Franco Debono.