An Algerian man who lives and works in Malta as a minivan driver was yesterday jailed for 30 months for providing two irregular migrants with fake documents.

Djalili Douib, 39, of Buġibba, was found guilty of helping two migrants flee the island in 2007.

One had been apprehended in Genoa, Italy, in January 2007 with a fake French identity card and sent back to Malta for criminal action. During the investigations, he told police where he had got it from and directed them to Mr Douib’s house.

Later, a Turk was intercepted as he was leaving Malta with a French residence permit.

While his fingerprints were being taken, the police passed by with Mr Douib in handcuffs, and the Turk told them he was the person who had helped him obtain the fake document.

Magistrate Giovanni Grixti said that although the accused had a clean police record, he had committed a crime which had consequences on human life.

He said that despite the clean record, he saw no reason why the court should not go directly for an effective jail term.