Pregnant woman posed as CID officer, then stole €160,000 from 94-year-old
The court heard how the woman exploited an elderly woman's trust and stole her savings stored in a tin
A 42-year-old woman was denied bail on Tuesday after she allegedly lied to a 94-year-old, claiming to be a CID officer and stole more than €160,000 in cash and jewellery from her home.
Miriam Caruana, who is unemployed and pregnant, pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated theft, impersonating or unlawfully exercising a public function, breaching three previous bail conditions and recidivism.
Magistrate Abigail Critien heard how Caruana allegedly won over the pensioner’s trust by claiming she was an official of the Criminal Investigations Department and explained she wore plain clothes due to the nature of the job.
The elderly woman believed her, as she said her husband also had connections with the CID.
The court heard how Caruana had told the woman she needed to inspect the cash she kept at home as part of her investigations.
The pensioner trusted her and invited her into her home. There, the accused found that the victim kept her savings in a tin, where around €100,000 in cash was kept.
The prosecution said that while the pensioner was distracted, Caruana allegedly made off with the cash before helping herself to jewellery worth around €60,000 and fled her home.
Later, the pensioner’s son and nephew realised her savings and jewellery had vanished and reported to the police.
Bail was requested and strongly denied by the prosecution led by AG lawyer Miguel Taliana, together with police inspectors Joseph Mercieca and Christine Delia.
The prosecution argued that witnesses still have to testify and highlighted that the alleged victim is a vulnerable 94-year-old woman. They also described the accused as having a “refractory character”, and that she had a lengthy criminal record, arguing it showed she had failed to mend her ways.
They also pointed out she was in breach of three separate sets of bail conditions.
The defence said Caruana remained presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The court also heard that she is three months pregnant and has a fixed address. At one point, the accused raised her hand to ask if she could be placed under house arrest, to which her lawyer replied that house arrest does not exist under Maltese law.
The bail request was turned down.
Inspectors Joseph Mercieca and Christine Delia prosecuted, along with AG lawyer Miguel Taliana. Lawyer Yanika Bugeja appeared as legal aid for the accused.