A man from Mali who used a friend’s passport to visit Malta and renew his Italian identification documents has been jailed for immigration offences.

Amadou Keita, 30 from Mali used a Malian passport issued to Ousmane Toure to make the trip.

Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech was informed that he had wanted to renew his Italian immigration documents, but was not swayed by this explanation.

“Sir, security of the island is part of the State’s obligations towards its citizens, so when one tries to circumvent this the court cannot tolerate such actions.”

Keita pleaded guilty. The court noted that the accused was not a first time offender. “His stint in jail does not seem to have convinced him to obey the law,” observed the magistrate as she sentenced him to 2 months in prison.