Youths aged 15 and 17 jailed over counterfeit passports

Two Sudanese youths, aged 17 and 15 years old, have been jailed for using counterfeit documents in a bid to travel to Italy.

They were arraigned before magistrate Gabriella Vella this afternoon, accused of falsifying a document, as well as possession and use of falsified passports.

Inspector Lara Butters explained how the youths had been arrested at the airport whilst attempting to board a flight to Bergamo using the false documents.

The 17-year-old was also accused of recidivism, having been convicted of another offence in November 2019. The nature of this offence did not emerge during today’s sitting.

Both of the accused admitted the charges today.

In his submissions on punishment, lawyer Simon Micallef Stafrace argued for leniency on account of the accused’s young age, in particular the 15 year-old.

The court found the youths guilty on their own admission and jailed them. The 17-year-old was sentenced to 6 months in prison, while the 15 year-old received a 3 month sentence.

In a separate arraignment this afternoon, a 24 year-old Bangladeshi man, Shahin Sharda, was jailed for 8 months after pleading guilty to counterfeit passport charges and to having escaped from the Safi Barracks on September 6 this year.

Inspector Lara Butters prosecuted and Lawyer Simon Micallef Stafrace was defence counsel, in both cases.

Read also: Fake passport racket: police catch 120 foreigners with false travel documents