A Brazilian footballer has been handed a suspended sentence after admitted to using a face Covid-19 test result to leave Malta.

The footballer - Carlos Vilmar Da Silva Rodrigues - appeared before Magistrate Gabriella Vella on Saturday morning, accused by Inspector Silvio Magro of making a false declaration to a public authority and forgery of documents.

Rodrigues was in Malta to play for Premier League side Senglea Athletic, who sit rock bottom in the league standings, but had tried to leave the islands after finding out that the club had no money to pay him.

The Brazilian’s lawyer Charmaine Cherrett explained to the court that he had done Covid-19 swab test on 23 February, but that after three days without having received the result, he had decided to use a fake test to leave the country.

He pleaded guilty to the charges and was handed a sentence of one year in prison which was suspended for four years.

Inspector Silvio Magro prosecuted.