A married man was forced to cough up thousands of euros as he was relentlessly blackmailed after seeking prostitution services, a court heard in a harrowing account on Monday. 

The 71-year-old man told police how the violent and relentless extortion even led to a stroke as he was coerced to transfer €14, 000 to a prostitute's account for his aggressors' silence.

Meanwhile, the man charged with extorting thousands of euros from the client who regularly sought sexual services from his mother, allegedly admitted that his only mistake was that he “pigged out”. 

“He claimed that he could not bear to see his mother being exploited for sexual services,” said inspector Stephen Gulia.

The inspector was testifying at length about the alleged blackmail that surfaced when the alleged victim decided to turn to the police for help. 

His report filed at the Valletta police station in June led to the arrest of three men and three women allegedly involved in varying roles in the prostitution blackmail that started in January 2022. 

Siblings Clyde and Mario Mallia, together with Massimo Fasanelli, mother and daughter Christine and Xasnolley Schembri and Chanelle Spiteri are all pleading not guilty to money laundering and other criminal wrongdoing related to the alleged extortion. 

It started over two years ago when the victim, then 69 and married, went to the woman's home for sexual services.

It was not the first time as the two met regularly either at her Għaxaq home or elsewhere. 

But on that occasion, the client came face to face with the prostitute’s sons, Clyde and Mario Mallia. 

An argument broke out and in the commotion, Clyde allegedly head-butted the visitor on the nose. 

The alleged victim was ordered to transfer €5,000 from his bank account to a third-party account. 

Gripped by fear, the man accessed his bank account in the presence of his alleged aggressors who, noticing his account balance, immediately upped their demand to €14,000. 

The victim gave in to that demand, transferring the sum to the account of Chanelle Spiteri, another prostitute introduced to the man by the Mallias’ mother. 

The matter stopped there that day. 

The mother of the Mallia siblings has since passed away, explained Gulia. 

But the alleged victim continued to seek the sexual services of Spiteri, despite the violent encounter with the Mallia siblings in January 2022. 

“I made a mistake. I kept going,” the alleged victim subsequently admitted,  recounting his ordeal to police.

Two months after that violent incident at the prostitute’s home, the victim suffered stroke. 

Doctors certified that the stroke was triggered by some blunt trauma. The patient kept his silence, fearful to speak about the beating he had endured since doing so would likely reveal his compromised position as a married man. 

Two years down the line in May, the man was waiting for Spiteri round the corner from her Mtarfa home when a car drove up. 

Out stepped Clyde Mallia, his brother Mario and their friend, Fasanelli. 

They approached the prostitute’s client, ordered him into his own car and drove him to their Għaxaq residence, threatening and intimidating him all the way. 

They touched his thigh with a torch-like taser, demanding more money. 

That day, another €1,300 was transferred from the victim’s account to Xasnolley’s Revolut account. 

Clyde Mallia allegedly took the victim’s bank card and exited the Ghaxaq residence. 

Financial transaction details examined by the police subsequently corroborated the victim’s account. That day, €3,000 were withdrawn at close intervals, €500 each time. 

The Mallias and Fasanelli later drove the victim to his home, helping themselves to a Seiko watch worth €80, another €200 in cash and two hard drives containing sexual videos of the man with the two prostitutes. 

Other demands for money continued in the following days. The victim met those demands hoping to end the ordeal.

But in June, Clyde Mallia allegedly threatened to give the victim away to his wife and daughter unless “he included him in his will or handed over €150,000 or €40,000.” 

Mallia took the victim’s car, a modern electric model worth some €40,000, threatening, “Until you do one of those [three things] you won’t get your car back.” 

That was the final straw for the victim. He finally decided to break his silence and headed to the police with his lawyer. 

His report triggered a magisterial inquiry and arrest warrants against all six suspects. 

The total sum allegedly extorted was €33,200, over and above the victim’s vehicle, the stolen Seiko watch, the hard drives and another €200 in cash, the said the inspector when wrapping up his lengthy testimony. 

Christine Schembri told police that she knew that the funds channeled to her account by her daughter’s boyfriend, Clyde, were “dirty…derived from crime.” 

“But he [Clyde] never paid a penny in this home. At least he paid these[sums],” she told police.

Her daughter, Xasnolley, also knew that those monies came from the victim. 

Mario Mallia told police that his brother and Fasanelli were the “masterminds.” He simply “went along with them.” 

Spiteri and Fasanelli opted for silence when interrogated. 

Clyde Mallia confirmed he head-butted the victim two years ago but denied asking for the first €14,000. The victim had offered that sum when he threatened to tell his wife about his meetings with prostitutes. 

He had kept the sexual videos of the victim with his mother “somewhere safe” and refused to hand them to police. 

But whenever he watched them from time to time, his anger was rekindled, Mallia told police. 

“My mistake was that I pigged out,” he allegedly admitted. 

The court decreed that there was sufficient prima facie evidence for the six co-accused to stand trial on indictment. 

The case, presided over by Magistrate Leonard Caruana, continues. 

AG lawyers Darlene Grima and Charmaine Abdilla prosecuted together with Inspectors Stephen Gulia and Andrew Agius Bonello. 

Lawyers Franco Debono and Adreana Zammit are counsel to the Mallias.

Lawyer Herman Mula is counsel to Fasanelli. 

Lawyers Mario and Nicholas Mifsud and Legal Procurator Colin Galea are counsel to the Schembris.

Lawyer Francesca Zarb is counsel to Spiteri.Lawyers Michael Sciriha and Roberto Spiteri are appearing parte civile.