Martin Cachia, 45 from Pembroke, failed to pay duty and VAT on 1,013 DVDs.

Several other charges had been pressed against Cachia, such as breaching copyright laws and conducting business without the necessary permits. The man was acquitted of these charges due to lack of evidence.

The court ordered Lm1,862 of the amount Cachia was fined to be given to the Maltese government as it was considered to be civil debt.

The court was presided over by magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera. Inspector Ian Abdilla prosecuted while Dr Roberto Montalto appeared for the accused.