Men charged with immigration-related offences

Two men have been handed suspended sentences after admitting to immigration-related offences.

Alkasem Mohamed Faisal and Mohamad Haj Najib, the latter a Maltese citizen of Syrian origin, were handed 20-month prison sentences, suspended for 48 and 30 months respectively after the men admitted to assisting a person's illegal arrival in Malta.

Najib was also accused of receiving a passport belonging to someone else. In addition to the suspended sentence, Najib was ordered to pay a fine of €2000.

He had been intercepted and arrested at the airport on Thursday night after he was found to be carrying Faisal's passport.

The man said he had been heading to Greece in order to give Faisal's passport to his brother in order to facilitate his illegal entry into Malta.

Inspector Frankie Sammut prosecuted. Lawyers Franco Debono, Angie Muscat and Amadeus Cachia were defence counsel.