A hotel manager was jailed for a year and fined €450 after using the place to run a brothel.

Tarcisio Agius, who managed the Berkley Hotel in Sliema, knew full well that four East European women were making use of the hotel to prostitute themselves and he had even built a reputation for offering Russian women, Magistrate Jacqueline Padovani said in her judgment.

Police Inspector Louise Calleja told the court she ordered a raid on the hotel on November 16, 2003 and officers had found three Ukrainian women and one Bulgarian in rooms with men.

At first, the women denied being prostitutes but later admitted in police statements they would be paid between €14 and €50 for their services although they would only pay Mr Agius for a room.

The court said that from the evidence produced it was clear that Mr Agius was running the brothel and it was almost a "one-man show". In fact, he had built up a notorious reputation for offering Russian women and even the prices were well known.

Inspector Calleja said alarms in the girl's rooms were linked to the reception while the main door of the hotel was kept locked, adding that one would have to ring a bell to enter. Testifying, Mr Agius denied any knowledge of the alarm system and claimed he was unaware that the establishment was being used for illicit purposes.

Magistrate Padovani said she found it very hard to believe he did not know anything about what was happening right under his nose and neither about the alarms. It was also unusual that the door of the hotel was kept locked because usually these were left open.

The court found Mr Agius not guilty of living off the earnings of prostitution but guilty of running the brothel.