Colombian women allegedly lured to Malta to work as prostitutes flew in from Bogota on flights paid for in cash by Luke Farrugia, the suspected mastermind behind the racket, a court heard.
Details about the flight arrangements were divulged by the director of a travel agency called to testify on Tuesday in criminal proceedings against Farrugia, Clint D’Amato, Denzil Farrugia, Kane Vassallo, Gordon Cassar, Luca Emanuele Corito, Dylan McKay, Alexandra Suhov Pocora and her partner Nicolae Efimov.
All are pleading not guilty to their various roles in the alleged racket linked to the running of several brothels in apartments around Msida and Gzira.
Prosecutors say the ring effectively trafficked the women for prostitution purposes.
A group of the women involved testified earlier on in the case that they saw over 2,000 clients in three months.
Bogota-Madrid-Malta return flights “for friends”
A travel agency representative testified that although her colleague handled 90% of bookings, she sometimes took over his duties when he was away.
“They told us that they bought them for their friends,” explained the witness, referring to flight tickets purchased by Farrugia whom she identified in court.
Those bookings started around mid-2019.
The itinerary was from Colombia’s capital Bogota to Malta, with a connecting flight in Madrid. The flights back followed the same route.
The witness said that she used to receive the bookings through mobile phone messages which had since been auto-deleted. All she had was the phone number linked to those bookings.
She could not confirm who that number belonged to.
However, it was Farrugia who went to the agency office to pay for the flights.
Asked about the cost of the return tickets, the witness said that prices varied between €1000 and €1700. Payment was in cash.
Cassar, one of the accused, once visited the agency to purchase flights and accommodation for himself to attend a concert in Madrid.
Sex toys and condoms
The owner of an adult shop identified Cassar and D’Amato as those who “were buying from me.”
The Italian national who ran the Qormi shop said that he had been asked by police to check purchases over a specific timeframe.
Matching Revolut data to the indicated timeframe the seller, assisted by his accountant, identified a number of transactions with prices varying from €40 to €110.
Delving into his pouch, the witness drew out a bunch of pink receipts which he made available to the court.
He explained that Cassar and D’Amato visited the shop “a few times” buying condoms, sex toys and so on.
Orders were also made via Revolut accounts linked to “Pocora and Cassar G,” explained the witness.
Asked how orders were delivered, the seller said that there were pick up or delivery facilities.
“Sometimes they come,” he explained in accented English. But he could not recall the locations where deliveries were made.
‘People going up and down’
Two residents living in the Msida block housing one of the brothels testified about the “flow of persons” heading to and from one of the apartments.
One of the residents said that earlier this year she “would see people going up and down.” But she did not know who they were.
Asked whether they were men or women, the witness explained, “to be honest I used to notice that the men were different.”
Since April, that flow of persons had ceased.
Another resident had also noticed the strangers coming and going to the apartment.
He only identified “Luke [Farrugia]” as the person who had been carrying out works at the flat previously.
Tuesday’s sitting continued behind closed doors. It is understood that a number of male clients were to testify.
The case, presided over by magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech, continues.
AG lawyer Charmaine Abdilla and Ramon Bonett Sladden are prosecuting together with inspectors John Spiteri, Dorianne Tabone and Joseph Xerri.
Lawyers Franco Debono, Marion Camilleri, Roberto Montalto, Charles Mercieca, Joe Giglio, Michaela Giglio, Kathleen Calleja Grima and Nicholas Mifsud assisted various defendants.
Lawyers Lara Dimitrijevic and Stephanie Caruana appeared parte civile.