A man was charged yesterday with filing a false police report when he fabricated evidence in an attempt to prove that someone else had stolen Lm500 worth of items belonging to his sons.

Emanuel Azzopardi, 55, from Buskett, was charged with fabricating evidence and filing a false report with the police about a crime that he knew had not taken place in January.

He was also charged with committing a crime during the operative term of a suspended jail term and relapsing.

Appearing before magistrate Doreen Clarke, Mr Azzopardi pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against him.

Police Inspector Nezren Grixti testified that Mr Azzopardi had filed a police report claiming that his house had been ransacked and his sons had found some cash missing. When the police began their investigations, they discovered that there had been no forced entry, although most of the rooms in the house were in a mess.

Inspector Grixti said that Mr Azzopardi admitted that he had stolen more than Lm500 to the detriment of his two sons and had fabricated evidence to make the police think that the theft was committed by someone else who had ransacked his house.

Mr Azzopardi was not charged with theft because his sons had not filed a criminal complaint that would have allowed the police to take action against their father.

The case continues.

Police Inspector Nezren Grixti prosecuted while Dr Roberto Montalto appeared for the accused.