Suspended sentence for Filipino sailor who altered passport

The heightened security caused by the Paris terror attacks has resulted in one luckless Filipino merchant seaman facing a bill for legal fees and costs, as well as a suspended sentence, after he admitted to changing details on his passport to carry on working past retirement age.

59-year-old Fausto Gamboa was arrested yesterday during a routine crew-change in the port of Valletta, after his passport was found to have been altered when scrutinized by immigration. Sources inform the MaltaToday that the accused had attempted to change his date of birth from 1956 to 1974 in order to circumvent age-related work restrictions in the maritime industry.

It is understood that under normal circumstances, passports of crew on board EU-flagged vessels are not subject to inspection, however due to the current suspension of the Schengen agreement, which allows free movement of persons within the member states of the EU, this is not currently the case.

Gamboa pleaded guilty to the charges and was handed a six-month sentence, suspended for two years, by Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera.

When asked by the court whether he could afford a lawyer, Gamboa replied that he had approximately €2,000. Unfortunately for the Filipino, this meant that he was not eligible for legal aid and would have to pay for his lawyer’s fees out of his own pocket.

Inspector Mario Haber prosecuted. Lawyer Simon Micallef Stafrace represented the accused.