A man who made a fake bomb threat at the law courts was condemned to 280 hours of community service, and was also fined €10,000.

Libyan national Ahmad Yassine, 36, has lived in Malta since he was very young. He was found guilty by the court for, on 16 November, having phoned up the court's reception desk claiming there was a bomb in the building.

Magistrate Joseph Mifsud said that chaos ensued after the call was made, and said that it was a premeditated act.

Court Director Raymond Scicluna took the witness standand said that as a result, 400 civil servants cost €4,390 in wages per hour. Since the bomb scare lasted two hours, then the taxpayer forked out €8,780, he explained.

The accused pleaded guilty. The Court said that the community would not gain anything if the man were sent to jail, and instead ordered community service.