A woman accused of defrauding some 50 victims in a €500,000 housing scam, had told the police she knew what they were looking for and handed search officers a bundle of documents, including a Housing Authority template form.

Sarah Ann Gatt, a 41-year-old cleaner pleading not guilty to fraud, was back in court on Thursday having been granted bail in October in the proceedings where the prosecution is alleging she swindled her unsuspecting victims out of their cash.

The court previously heard a number of those victims testifying how they were lured into parting with their cash after the woman, who introduced herself as 'Sue Borg' won their trust. 

Those cash payments were meant as deposits for the purchase of property through a government housing scheme at a “favourable price”.

But the transfers of property never materialised and the hopeful purchasers realised only too late that 'Sue' never existed and that they had allegedly been taken for a ride. 

When the case resumed on Thursday, police sergeant Luke Vella Cassia from the economic crimes unit explained his role in approaching the disgruntled victims and taking down their version of events.

They spoke about how they had handed over the money to the accused in exchange for a receipt, but matters dragged on and they were left high and dry.

A search and arrest warrant was issued in respect of the suspect.

On May 16, 2022, the police turned up at her Santa Venera home.

The woman was given her rights and served the warrant before the police proceeded to search her home, seizing some mobile phones from her bedroom. 

But, at one point, Gatt spontaneously told them “I know what you’re looking for”.

She opened a wardrobe and drew out a bag containing documents that included a Housing Authority template form and plans. 

The search continued inside the accused’s Santa Venera shop from where another mobile phone was seized. In all, five phones had been seized.

Those devices together with all the documents gathered in the search were presented in court on Thursday, in sealed evidence bags, by the witness. 

The accused’s parents had first answered the call when the police knocked at Gatt’s residence.

Gatt was at work at the time but she soon returned home. 

The witness recalled how the accused had “gone head-on into an office-like room” when the search continued at her shop. 

She had returned with a mobile phone which she handed over to the police. 

“So does that mean that Gatt cooperated fully during the search,” asked defence lawyer Marion Camilleri. 

“She was never aggressive,” replied the officer.

“But did she give you what you were looking for,” the lawyer pressed on. 

“We told her what we were after and at one point she handed us a bag containing documents. But we searched for more.”

Earlier in Thursday’s hearing, court-appointed expert Stephen Farrugia Sacco reported about his task of extracting data from five mobile phones. 

Two of those were password locked while another was damaged and could not even be switched on. 

Data was extracted within the limits of what was contained on the other devices, but not on iCloud, the court was told. 

The case, presided over by Magistrate Astrid May Grima, continues in April. 

Inspectors Shaun Friggieri and Ritienne Gauci prosecuted, assisted by AG lawyer Andrea Zammit.  Lawyers Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri are defence counsel.