A Gozitan importer was jailed for 13 months yesterday, suspended for two years, and fined Lm1,110 after he pleaded guilty to defrauding the government out of Lm7,000 in customs duty and VAT.

Gordon Micallef, 32, from Gharb admitted falsifying documents, providing false information to the Customs Department and making a profit of Lm11,107 to the detriment of the Maltese government on 20 April 2003 and before.

Micallef also pleaded guilty to not declaring the full amount of VAT and customs duty on the goods he imported.

Handing down her judgement, magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera noted that Micallef had a clean record and had repaid the full amount due.

Police Inspector Joseph Cordina prosecuted.