A company director was sentenced to two years imprisonment on Wednesday after admitting to human trafficking.

The man, whose name and personal details were banned by the court, was arraigned following an investigation by the police, Jobsplus and Identita’. 

Prosecuting inspector Karl Roberts explained that the probe was triggered after Jobsplus and Identita’ flagged a restaurant-owning company which had on its records a number of workers that far exceeded the employees actually working at its businesses. 

One of its restaurants was closed or in the process of being shut down, another was simply taking online orders and deliveries and a third had not yet started operating. 

The director had applied for permits to bring over third country nationals, mainly from India, on the basis of a job with his company. 

When the matter was flagged by Jobsplus, he fired a number of those workers and falsified documents for the payment of taxes in respect of the fake employment.

The workers received payslips for work they had not done for the accused and his company. 

When the police spoke to a number of those workers, they said that they had applied for a job and decided to move to Malta after seeing online adverts for waiters, cleaners and dishwashers.

The director was charged with human, trafficking, false declarations in public documents, assisting the third country nationals to come to Malta and giving false information in terms of the Immigration Act. 

After consulting his lawyer, Giannella de Marco, the man registered an admission.

That very early guilty plea, his cooperation with investigators and his untainted criminal record were highlighted by the defence when making submissions on punishment. 

The prosecution agreed and the parties suggested a two-year effective jail term as punishment. 

In this case, neither probation nor a suspended sentence were applicable, pointed out the defence lawyer. 

After taking note of those submissions the court, presided by Magistrate Monica Vella, declared the accused guilty upon admission and sentenced him to two-years imprisonment. 

Upon a request by the defence, the court also recommended that prison authorities are to assist the man in view of his various medical issues. 

Head of compliance Bernard Zarb represented Jobsplus Corporation. 

The court banned the name of the accused and his company as well as all personal details after being informed that investigations were still ongoing and many other foreign workers were still to be tracked down.