A Nepalese man has been handed a suspended sentence for trying to use a false stamp on his passport in a bid to get a work permit.

35 year-old Kunwor Kushal had faked a Latvian residency permit, magistrate Caroline Farrugia Frendo was told this afternoon, as the man was arraigned by Inspector Frankie Sammut.

Inspector Sammut said that the accused had paid €1,500 for the stamp and had been caught when he had tried to apply for work with it. The prosecution insisted on a custodial sentence.

Lawyer Martin Fenech, appointed as legal aid to the accused, argued that the man’s passport was valid and only had a false visa stamp on it. “He’s not a criminal, he’s just trying to make a better living,” argued the lawyer.

A guilty plea was entered on behalf of the accused.

The court sentenced Kushal to 1 year in prison, suspended for 4 years for the crime.