A man and a woman were convicted separately of social benefit fraud after they were found guilty of filing false claims to receive an allowance for severe disability when they had none.

They were found guilty of having falsified documents to get the benefit allocated for people with severe disabilities. Sources said the two were part of a group of 17 facing similar charges following an internal investigation by the social services department and which was then passed on to the police.

David Grech, 33, from Żebbuġ, was sentenced to 13 months in prison suspended for two years while Mary Anne Azzopardi, 57, from San Ġwann, was placed on probation for 13 months.

Both originally pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them but then had a change of heart and decided to plead guilty.

Magistrate Gabriella Vella heard that Azzopardi and Grech were charged with falsifying documents between January and December last year with the intent of committing fraud when they applied for a supplementary allowance reserved for those who suffered from epilepsy.

It emerged that they had submitted an application with the department of social security for the benefit of severe disability. However, it subsequently resulted that the documentation submitted to the department was false and tampered with. Besides, those who suffer from epilepsy cannot drive while Azzopardi and Grech both had a valid driving licence.

The court heard that although they had submitted the applications separately, they did not receive any benefit since their application and those of others were flagged during the processing stage.

In Grech’s case, the court also heard the testimony of a retired neurology consultant who formerly worked at Mater Dei Hospital. He confirmed that the medical certificate submitted by Grech in his application was not issued by him since the handwriting was not his and neither was the stamp. He also confirmed that Grech was never his patient and he had never seen him before the encounter in court.

Magistrate Vella sentenced him to 13 months in jail suspended for two years. She also ordered the preservation of all evidence submitted in his case since this was needed as evidence in other criminal proceedings.

In a social inquiry report on Azzopardi ordered by the magistrate, a probation officer observed that she lived a stable life where the main focus were her family and her job. Her priority was to live a healthy lifestyle and support her family. The officer recommended that Azzopardi should be helped and, therefore, the magistrate placed her on probation for 13 months.

Police inspectors Andy Rotin and Wayne Rodney Borg prosecuted.