Court Confirms Sentence for Woman Who Withdrew €8,000 from Ex-Partner’s Bank Account

The Court of Appeal has confirms a sentence of 18 months in prison suspended for three years against a woman who was found guilty of withdrawing €8,000 from her ex-partner’s bank account back in October 2018. Francine Cini, the defendant, had appealed the sentence on the grounds that she had power of attorney over her ex-partner’s finances.

The case dates back to March 2015 when Cini withdrew the sum of money without providing any explanation for what she did with it. However, the Court of Appeal has now confirmed the sentence, stating that having power of attorney does not grant a person the right to act in a misleading manner that harms the interests of the mandatary.

During the hearing, the presiding judge, Neville Camilleri, emphasized that it is the responsibility of the person holding the power of attorney to act in the best interests of the mandatary. Furthermore, the judge noted that Cini failed to provide any evidence to prove that her ex-partner had given her instructions to withdraw the money.