A 20-year-old Malian refused to plead guilty to using a tampered passport after realising that he would not be getting off with a suspended sentence.

Nama Sangare, a resident at the Hal Far Open Centre, was charged with buying someone else's passport which he attempted to pass off as his own after his application for refugee status stalled due to incomplete documentation.

He was also charged with making a false declaration to the immigration authorities.

Prosecuting officer Victor Aquilina told the court that the accused had been arrested yesterday at the MIA departure lounge, after trying to use an Italian passport issued to Fofana Mate.

The accused had also told him that he had paid €119 for the document.

Before entering his plea, Magistrate Joe Mifsud warned the accused that he would be applying a custodial sentence should he plead guilty, as the accused was a Maltese resident and could not be sent back.

Defence lawyer Noel Bartolo said that the accused was aware of this. The accused, however, objected, saying that he had been told he could expect a suspended sentence in return for a guilty plea.

The request for bail was turned down and he was remanded in custody.

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