A dealer at a local casino who pocketed €150 while helping players cheat at a game and defrauding the casino out of some €8,000, was granted bail after admitting to his criminal wrongdoing on Friday.
Luigi Giuseppe Comella, a 22-year-old Italian national, got more than he bargained for after his cheating at the table, benefitting players to the detriment of the casino operators, was caught on surveillance cameras.
The youth was arrested on Thursday after management at the Portomaso Casino alerted the police to the suspected fraud.
It all happened during a gambling game, known as Punto Banco, where cards were dealt out and chips moved on the table in such a manner as to result in a win either for the players or the dealer.
The accused’s manoeuvres meant that the match went in favour of the players.
Over a three-day span, the casino was defrauded of €8,050, said prosecuting Inspector Keith Scerri, exhibiting a casino report along with footage from the security cameras.
The suspect was on Friday charged with fraud, misappropriation as well as falsification.
After consulting his legal aid lawyer, he pleaded guilty, confirming his admission after being given time to reconsider and through the assistance of an interpreter.
His lawyer, Joseph Bonnici, said that this was a difficult case, highlighting the accused’s tender age and the minimum gain he had pocketed.
He was prepared to reimburse the casino the full amount defrauded.
The youth had since also lost his job.
The prosecution informed the court that it would not insist on an effective jail term, pointing out that the youth had cooperated all along and had registered an early guilty plea.
After hearing submissions, the court, presided over by Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras, granted the accused bail pending judgment, against a personal guarantee of €8,000 and a curfew between 8.30pm and 7am.
The court ordered him to sign the bail book twice daily, warning him of the consequences if he were not to abide by all bail conditions until the delivery of the judgment next week.
Inspector Keith Xerri prosecuted.