Magistrate Abigail Lofaro yesterday sentenced Riad Mabruk El Masri Hagi to nine months imprisonment after finding him guilty of making use of a false passport.

The court heard that the accused had been apprehended by the police in March 2002 after his visa had expired. The police had realised that the accused had previously been deported from the country and upon examination of his passport it resulted that the name shown on the document had been tampered with.

The accused was found guilty of having made use of a false passport and of having been in Malta without a valid permit. He was also found guilty of having committed a crime while subject to a suspended sentence.

The court ordered the man's deportation after serving time.