Youth flushed fake travel documents down airport toilet, court hears

A court has been told how a youth from Eritrea tried to destroy his doctored immigration papers by flushing them down the toilet at the airport.

Inspector Darren Buhagiar arraigned the 17-year-old before magistrate Gabriella Vella this morning. He told the court that the accused had been arrested on 23 January at the airport on suspicion of possession of false documents. The police found that he had tried to destroy the false papers in the airport toilet. The documents, an Italian residence permit and passport, were recovered, examined and found to have been tampered with.

He released a statement during interrogation, admitting to having bought them for €700 so he could come to Malta and apply for humanitarian protection. He had come to Malta from Italy, via Spain, in an effort to avoid detection by the immigration authorities. The police were still establishing as to whether he had applied for protection in Italy, Buhagiar said.

The accused is still a minor and so appeared in court also assisted by a social worker.

Lawyer Yanika Bugeja, appearing as legal aid to the accused, said he was willing to admit to the charges. The prosecution said it had not objection to a suspended sentence being given in this case.

Bugeja pointed out that the man's age decreased the punishment that could be inflicted by one or two degrees.

Inspector Buhagiar said the police were still confirming his identity and age, but agreed that the accused had claimed to be a minor

The court found the youth guilty and handed him a four-month sentence suspended for one year.