Another 20 people yesterday appeared in court to face charges of having obtained a mariners’ licence illegally.

Before magistrate Michael Mallia, six of those charged pleaded guilty to trading in influence, making false declarations and making use of forged documents.

They were each sentenced to a one-year jail term suspended for two years, fined Lm500 and banned from obtaining a nautical license for a year. 14 of the accused asked for their case to be put off so as to allow them to regularise their position prior to entering a plea.

Two MMA officials have been charged in court in connection with the case.

John Farrugia, 60, who works as a small ships administrator at the authority, and Ivan Muscat, 30, a clerk in the same department have proceedings pending in which they are being charged with accepting bribes to issue false nautical licences, as well as forging documents of the Malta College for Arts, Science and Technology and defrauding the college, misappropriating funds, maliciously using false documents and committing a crime they were duty bound to prevent.