Former Labour MP Notary Sandro Schembri Adami was given a fifth suspended jail term and a general interdiction after admitting to defrauding 16 people out of over €73,000.

Dr Schembri Adami admitted to taking the money that was meant to have been passed on to the government as a tax on a contract. He defrauded the 16 people out of various amounts totalling €73,292.48.

His first suspended sentence was handed down in February 2007 after he was found guilty of fraud.

In June of 2008, he admitted to the misappropriation of €10,194 to the detriment of two people and two months later was convicted of misappropriating €24,465 from four people, defrauding them and forging HSBC cheques.

Last May, he admitted to defrauding a couple of €2,239, receiving yet another suspended jail term.

Magistrate Audrey Demicoli yesterday said a prison sentence would not be ideal because he would not be able to pay the victims back. She also took into consideration the fact that he had cooperated with the police and had a clean police record when he was first arraigned on these charges.

She handed down a two-year jail term suspended for four and also issued a general perpetual interdiction.

The interdiction means Dr Schembri Adami cannot perform any form of civil acts, such as selling or buying houses or cars, and will not be allowed to vote. Someone who is interdicted cannot sign official documents such as contracts and is not allowed to hold public office.

Police Inspector Angelo Gafà prosecuted.