A married couple, whose conviction for human trafficking was quashed on appeal, was jailed for nine years when their case was sent back before the magistrates’ court.
Robert Attila Majlat, 42 and Attilane Majlat, 37, had landed under police surveillance following information from British authorities about the Hungarian couple’s suspect involvement in a prostitution ring.
After tracking down the couple’s Maltese address, investigators turned up at the St Paul’s Bay apartment shared by the Majlats, their minor daughter and two other women, one of whom was a mother of a baby daughter.
While that apartment served as a residence, another apartment nearby appeared to be used for prostitution purposes.
Further investigations led to the discovery of certain posts on local websites bearing provocative and sexual images of the two suspect victims, with adverts in English for massage and sexual services, together with a phone number.
Since neither of the women apparently had a grasp of English, it was Attilane Majlat who appeared to handle calls from prospective clients, fixing the location, date and time for appointments while issuing instructions to the women.
All money earned would later be handed over to Mr Majlat who, in turn, provided the women with accommodation, food and daily necessities.
When testifying in the proceedings, one of the victims explained how she had been “bought” from her old pimp by Mr Majlat, when she was 19-years old, and how the man would take her along with him on his trips abroad, forcing her to work as a prostitute wherever they went.
Though at first rather fearful and reluctant to speak, the woman subsequently told the police how she had wished to put an end to the state of affairs but feared she would lack the necessary funds to support herself and her baby, whom she entrusted to the co-accused couple while at work.
The other victim also testified about how she had been lured to Malta by the promise of a better life that would enable her to regain custody of her children who had been taken away from her because of her involvement in prostitution.
She used to offer her services at the St Paul’s Bay apartment, charging some €100 an hour, and claimed to have lived in fear of the Majlat couple who used to shout at her and sometimes even hit her.
In 2019, the alleged masterminds behind this prostitution racket were declared guilty by a Magistrates’ Court and condemned to a 12-year jail term each.
However, the following year, the Court of Criminal Appeal quashed that conviction on the basis of the fact that the first court had not allowed the defence to cross-examine the two women who were allegedly brought to Malta for prostitution purposes.
That decision was detrimental to the accused and verged on a breach of their right to a fair hearing, Madam Justice Consuelo Scerri Herrera had declared, ordering the case to be heard again before a Magistrates’ Court from the cross-examination stage.
The case was assigned to Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras who, in a 107-page judgment, declared the co-accused guilty of human trafficking, forcing their victims into prostitution, living off the earnings of prostitution and running a brothel.
They were cleared of causing their victims to fear violence as well as relapsing, while the husband was cleared of rape.
The court condemned the couple to a nine-year jail term each, while confirming an order to the police commissioner to investigate allegations about an attempt to stop one of the victims from testifying and for appropriate action to be taken accordingly.
Meanwhile, the couple’s lawyers, Noel Bianco and Jason Grima, gave notice of appeal. Inspectors John Spiteri and Joseph Busuttil prosecuted.