11:21 In between sittings, the court has informed the defence that the Attorney General had filed a request, asking the alleged victims be allowed to give their evidence through video conferencing. The court upheld the request.

Joe Giglio “Given that the cross-examination of the witnesses must be carried out on the same day, the defence has nothing about what they are going to say.”

Court asks prosecution whether they had released a declaration. They had, but this had not been given to the defence, he said.

Inspector John Spiteri explains he only has an audiovisual statement in hand and did not have a written declaration available at this stage. He has no issue in exhibiting it as evidence. The defence said that it had to be provided as disclosure, and not exhibited.

Magistrate Frendo Dimech insisted that the victims be only brought to testify once, meaning that their cross-examination must also happen today. “I will not be a participant in any secondary victimisation,” she says.

The court is now taking attendance for all the defendants and their respective lawyers, and swearing in the interpreters who will be assisting the non-Maltese speaking defendants. Matthew Vella

09:52 The defendants are: Luke Farrugia, 36, from Birkirkara; Clint D’Amato 36, from Gudja; Denzil Farrugia, 19; Alexandra Suhov Procora, a 32-year old Romanian woman residing at St Paul’s Bay, who told the court she was an accountant; Nicolae Efimov, 37 also Romanian and residing in St Paul’s Bay; Kane Vassallo, 22, from Siggiewi; Luca Emanuele Corito, 21, from Isla; Dylan McKay, 30, from Fgura; and Gordon Cassar, 44 from Żebbuġ.

All nine are charged with money laundering, promoting or setting up a criminal organisation, forcing individuals over 21 years of age into prostitution, holding persons against their will in a brothel as bonded debtors, knowingly living off the earnings of prostitution and running a brothel.

Lawyers Franco Debono, Marion Camilleri, Mario Mifsud, Nicholas Mifsud, Charles Merceica, Etienne Borg Ferranti, Kathleen Calleja Grima and Michaela Giglio are assisting the individual defendants. Matthew Vella

09:50 Good morning, and welcome to this live-blog: senior court reporter Matthew Agius is at the Valletta law courts. Matthew Vella

The compilation of evidence starts today against eight men and a woman who formed part of an organised crime ring that trafficked South American women in Malta, to work as prostitutes. 

The nine suspects were arrested during an early morning raid last week across various Malta localities on Monday, 12 August. 

The defendants are: Luke Farrugia, 36, from Birkirkara; Clint D’Amato 36, from Gudja; Denzil Farrugia, 19; Alexandra Suhov Procora, a 32-year old Romanian woman residing at St Paul’s Bay, who told the court she was an accountant; Nicolae Efimov, 37 also Romanian and residing in St Paul’s Bay; Kane Vassallo, 22, from Siggiewi; Luca Emanuele Corito, 21, from Isla; Dylan McKay, 30, from Fgura; and Gordon Cassar, 44 from Żebbuġ. 

All nine are charged with money laundering, promoting or setting up a criminal organisation, forcing individuals over 21 years of age into prostitution, holding persons against their will in a brothel as bonded debtors, knowingly living off the earnings of prostitution and running a brothel. 

All accused will remain in custody at the Corradino Correctional Facility for the time being.

Lawyers Franco Debono, Marion Camilleri, Mario Mifsud, Nicholas Mifsud, Charles Merceica, Etienne Borg Ferranti, Kathleen Calleja Grima and Michaela Giglio are assisting the individual defendants. 

Lawyers Ramon Bonett Sladden and Charmaine Abdilla from the Office of the Attorney General prosecuted, together with police inspectors John Spiteri, Joseph Xerri and Dorianne Tabone.

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