George and Rocco Car Centre stresses it has no affiliation with dealer suspected of mileage tampering

Following the news that directors of two autodealerships, Rokku Autodealer and Tal-Qasab Autosale, have been taken in for questioning by police over the suspected tampering of mileage gauges on imported Japanese cars, a local car dealer has publicly stated it has no links or affiliation with Rokku Autodealer.

George and Rocco Car Centre, located in Naxxar, made the statement on Sunday, and appears to have done so due to the possibility that the name ‘Rocco’ and ‘Rokku’ may be confused by the public.

The company also stressed that its sister operation, Paul and Rocco service station, also has no affiliation with Rokku Autodealer.

Indeed, while the accusations against Rokku and Tal-Qasab surround the importation and tampering of Japanese second-hand cars, George and Rocco offers local and UK imported second-hand vehicles.

News of the possibility of mileage tampering was first broken in June 2022 by Malta Today, which at the time reported that as many as 300 cars may have been affected.

The alleged racket began in 2019 and saw high-mileage vehicles purchased below market price in Japan brought to Malta where their gauges had been tampered with, tricking customers into thinking they were purchasing less-used vehicles.

On Sunday (yesterday), the Times of Malta reported that directors from both of the autodealers suspected of tampering with vehicles had been taken in for questioning as police determine whether to press charges.