Man convicted of mini-market theft gets deported

A man charged with mini-market theft has been deported by police to another country following his conviction in August.

"A person who in August was found guilty of theft has been deported by police towards another country," Minister for Home Affairs, Security, Reforms and Equality Byron Camilleri said on Facebook on Thursday.

The deportation follows similar operations against those found guilty of criminal acts, according to the announcement made on Wednesday.

The case stems from an incident at a Gżira convenience store on 28 August, when two men were accused of stealing food items, including a can of sardines, a bottle of oil and other products.

One of the accused, 42-year-old Rami Abidi, pleaded guilty to the charges and was given a three-month prison sentence suspended for one year. The other man, Abdell Raouf Mohfoudi Ali Hassan, 43, pleaded not guilty and was released on bail with conditions including a nightly curfew and orders to sign at Valletta police station three times weekly.

The shop assistant had become suspicious and followed the men into the aisles, later telling police that one dropped items on the floor while the other hid goods in his trousers.

CCTV footage captured the incident, and both men were arrested about 30 minutes after allegedly trying to leave without paying.