Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1545002
6 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 20 MAY 2026 NEWS Sales manager handed suspended sentence over false passport and forged immigration documents A 44-year-old was handed a two- year prison sentence, suspended for four years, after pleading guilty to using a false passport and forged immigration docu- ments. Youssef Sabry, 44, sales man- ager, Moroccan and lives in St Paul's Bay, was arrested at the airport on Sunday 17 May, while he was preparing to travel to Germany for work. The prosecution told the court that the accused presented false documents during checks, prompting an investigation which led to his arrest. Sabry admitted to all charges brought against him. Sabry was accused of falsify- ing or making alterations to a passport and using documents he knew were forged. He was also charged with making use of said forged documents, pro- viding false information to the Principal Immigration Officer, possessing immigration-related documents without lawful au- thority, and knowingly making false declarations in documents intended for a public authority in order to obtain a benefit. In delivering the sentence, the court noted Sabry's clean crim- inal record, stable employment, and the fact that he had been living in Malta for nine years without causing issues. He was sentenced to a two-year prison term, suspended for four years. The court warned the accused to ensure that all his documents are in order in future, stressing that the suspended sentence was being granted as a chance of re- form. Lawyers Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri appeared for the accused. Inspector Christian Abela led the prosecution. Mag- istrate Tanya Sammut presided over the sitting. JULIA DOWLING jdowling@mediatoday.com.mt Accused denied bail after allegedly ignoring protection order to reconnect with ex-partner A 30-year-old Sicilian man pleaded not guilty to breaching a protection order after alleg- edly repeatedly contacting his former partner and going near her residence despite court-im- posed restrictions. The accused cannot be named due to a court order aimed at protecting the identity of the couple's five-year-old son. The case was heard after the woman filed a report at the Do- mestic Violence Unit in Santa Luċija on 18 May. Inspector Christian Cauchi told the court that the accused allegedly sent numerous mes- sages to his former partner on 17 and 18 May in breach of a protection order issued in February. The court heard the messages were not related to arrangements concerning their son, but instead focused on the accused's desire to reconcile and reunite the family. Among the many messages, he said "forgive me" and "let's fix this". The prosecution further al- leged that the man went near the woman's residence and asked her to open the door. She allegedly told him repeatedly to leave and to stop contacting her. The defence requested bail, arguing that no threats or vio- lent behaviour had taken place and insisting that the accused is not a violent person. The prosecution objected, stressing that a protection order must be strictly respected regardless of whether threats were made. Inspector Cauchi also noted that the alleged victim has yet to testify. Parte civile lawyer Lennox Vella told the court that the woman felt compelled to file the report because the accused was following and stalking her. The alleged victim had no peace of mind that the accused would refrain from approaching her residence again. Reference was also made to an incident in March involving the couple's son, who allegedly suffered a serious accident. The defence argued that communi- cation between the former part- ners naturally increased follow- ing the incident out of concern for the child's wellbeing. The defence further main- tained that the woman's actions showed she was not genuinely fearful of the accused, pointing out that after the incident she had asked him to collect the child from her residence rath- er than from the police station, where exchanges had previous- ly taken place. The defence further argued that the child had been emo- tionally affected by the sepa- ration and frequently cried in the hope that his parents would reconcile. He claimed this was the reason behind the accused's attempts to re-establish con- tact. Lawyer Conrad Borg Manche further noted that the report was filed after a Family Court sitting held the previous day, rather than immediately after the alleged breaches. The court also heard refer- ence to separate proceedings in which the accused allegedly threw a pot of boiling water at the woman, leading to the pro- tection order being issued. The man was ultimately de- nied bail. Inspector Christian Cauchi prosecuted. Lawyer Conrad Borg Manche appeared for the accused. Lawyer Lennox Vella appeared for the parte civile. Magistrate Tanya Sammut pre- sided over the arraignment. MAYA GALEA mgalea@mediatoday.com.mt