Duo granted bail after allegedly defrauding Caritas benefactor of over \u20ac10,000 in fake legal fees<\/p>\n
A man and woman have been granted bail on Tuesday after facing accusations of defrauding a benevolent benefactor out of more than €10,000.<\/p>\n
The accused, 36-year-old Lyon Bonnici and 32-year-old Samantha Chetcuti, pleaded not guilty to charges of misappropriation, fraud, and breaching previous bail conditions.<\/p>\n
The victim of the fraud, Louis Bellizzi, is a benefactor who works closely with Caritas to assist former prison inmates in reintegrating into society.<\/p>\n
According to the prosecution, Lyon Bonnici allegedly began repeatedly targeting Bellizzi for financial aid. Samantha Chetcuti allegedly assisted Bonnici by fabricating false bills and invoices made to look like official legal fees from a well-known Maltese lawyer, as well as making up rental expenses.<\/p>\n
Believing these demands to be legitimate legal and living expenses, the victim transferred a total of over €10,000 over a three-month span.<\/p>\n
The scheme began to unravel when Bellizzi realised the sheer volume of “expenses” was no longer making sense. Prosecution told the courts that on 8 June Bellizzi filed a police report providing a timeline of the transactions, which included an outstanding fabricated legal bill of €5,500. Following the investigation, a warrant was issued, and the two accused were arrested. <\/p>\n
Both defendants are facing additional charges for allegedly violating previous, separate court-imposed bail conditions. Bonnici was charged with breaching conditions imposed on him in January and March of 2021. Chetcuti was charged with violating bail conditions handed down to her recently on 13 March 2026.<\/p>\n
Samantha Chetcuti’s defence argued for bail, pointing out that the accused is a stably employed chef with a clean criminal record and a fixed address. The lawyer said Chetcuti played a secondary role in the affair and had fully cooperated with the police, even voluntarily handing over her mobile phone.<\/p>\n
The defence appearing for Lyon Bonnici, argued that denying bail would trap the accused in a vicious cycle. The lawyer explained that Bonnici had recently been released from prison and was actively receiving help from Caritas to rebuild his life and find his footing. <\/p>\n
Having known Bonnici previously, his lawyer personally attested to his client’s progress, stating he could wholeheartedly say that Bonnici was turning his life around. Sending him back to prison now, the defense argued, would completely undo this progress and send him right back to square one.<\/p>\n
The defense further argued that there was no real risk of tampering with evidence should the accused be granted bail, since all monetary transactions were completely traceable digital records that could not be erased.<\/p>\n
While the prosecution expressed concern over the abuse of the benefactor’s goodwill and the defendants’ criminal histories, they agreed with the defence that there was no real possibility for the accused to tamper with evidence if let out on bail as all monetary transactions were completely traceable. <\/p>\n
The court’s primary reservation regarding Bonnici was his lack of stability, noting that he had recently been moving between multiple residences.<\/p>\n
In response, the defence strongly reassured the court that Bonnici would be residing at a stable, fixed address if granted bail. To provide further peace of mind to the court, Bonnici’s mother also stepped forward to act as a third-party guarantor.<\/p>\n
The court granted bail to both defendants under strict conditions, alongside a protection order in favor of the victim as well as the lawyer whose identity was used to fabricate the invoices. <\/p>\n
Their bail conditions included an order to sign the bail book daily. The two accused must remain indoors between 8pm and 7am. Both the accused were required to pay a €3,000 deposit and a personal guarantee of €7,000. In the case of Lyon Bonnici, he required a third party guarantee from his mother who must also provide a personal guarantee of €2000.<\/p>\n
The prosecution was led by Inspector James Turner. Nicholas Mifsud and Ishmael Psaila appeared for the accused. Naomi Spiteri appeared as parte-civile lawyer.<\/p>\n