Tunisian immigrant says he paid €1,200 to be taken to Italy
A Tunisian immigrant yesterday told a court he had paid €1,200 to be taken to Italy and only after a lot of insistence on the part of the man who offered to make the arrangements for him. Attia Hadel said Ferhat Guellouma constantly tried to tempt them...
A Tunisian immigrant yesterday told a court he had paid €1,200 to be taken to Italy and only after a lot of insistence on the part of the man who offered to make the arrangements for him.
Attia Hadel said Ferhat Guellouma constantly tried to tempt them to take his offer of a trip to Italy, describing it as the land of plenty and telling them they could do more there, but he always refused.
Hadel said that eventually he and a friend of his decided to take him up on the offer and paid him €1,200. He said he never realised it was going to be a clandestine voyage and thought Guellouma would take them to catch a plane.
He testified in the compilation of evidence against Doris Montebello, 51, of Mosta, Peter Borg, 22, of Birkirkara, and Ferhat Guellouma, 50, originally of Algeria and now living in Birkirkara.
They are pleading not guilty to aiding and abetting immigrants to enter or leave the island and conspiring to commit a crime on and before October 3.
Borg alone was also charged with relapsing.
Hadel explained that he went to stay at the Taormina Hotel when he arrived in Malta, on September 19. He went there to join his friends who were already in Malta.
Hadel recognised Guellouma as the man who entreated them to go to Italy every night while they hung out at the hotel watching television.
He explained how he eventually gave in and Borg went round to pick them up and take them to an apartment where they were kept for five days.
Some Turks were also brought to the apartment but they only stayed for a couple of hours. Food used to be brought in for them.
Hadel said that eventually Borg went round again, piled them in a van with another three men from Sfax and drove them to another hotel from where they picked up some Turks. Some Moroccan men had been picked up earlier.
The case continues.
Police Inspectors Sandro Zarb and Denise Mula prosecuted.
Dr Toni Abela and Dr Anglu Farrugia are appearing for Montebello, Dr George Cutajar for Borg and Dr Frank Cassar for Guellouma.