Two immigrants used false passports to stage escape bid
Two immigrants were yesterday charged with making use of forged passports to try to leave Malta for Spain after they were apprehended at the airport.
Stephen Kyereme, 22, from the Ivory Coast, was jailed for eight months after he admitted to escaping from the Ħal Far detention centre and making use of the fake passport to try and leave the island on Sunday.
Ghanian Maxwell Asiadu, 29, who lives in an open centre, was given a five-month jail term suspended for three years for making use of the counterfeit document to try to leave the island.
Police Inspector Mario Haber, prosecuting, explained that cases of escape had been on the rise and called on the magistrate to send a message through her sentence.
However, defence lawyer Renzo Porsella Flores noted that his clients had not tried to escape to commit a crime. Their action was driven by the feeling that they did not have a future in Malta and they just wanted to leave the island they never planned to come to in the first place.
Magistrate Edwina Grima pointed out that, since the two men had different charges, she could not hand down the same punishment.
She jailed Mr Kyereme for eight months and handed down a suspended jail term for Mr Asiadu who had not been charged with escaping from detention.
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lgalea
Jun 17th 2009, 09:38
Have a look at http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20090616/tuk-straw-looks-at-tougher-sentences-for-dba1618.html
Joseph Schembri
Jun 16th 2009, 16:02
It is despicable that persons are punished 'to send a message'. If crimes or rather individuals are to be punished each case should be dealt with on its own merit and no one should ever be used as 'an example'.
Meanwhile I don't know why the police inspector in question felt that the magistrate had to send a message to prevent people from trying to 'escape' from Malta. Aren't we constantly talking about burden sharing? Why keep people here who don't want to be here?
louise vella
Jun 16th 2009, 15:35
People from Ghana and the Ivory Coast do not qualify for refugee status. These two are in Malta illegally. They try to leave the country illegally. There is only one legal way out for them - repatriation to their own countries.
lgalea
Jun 16th 2009, 10:14
Why are they not repatriated since they cannot claim asylum or humanitarian status?
Will they be expelled after serving their sentence?