A Chinese man who was convicted and fined for illegally employing a foreigner, filed a judicial protest today complaining that he was excessively punished when his Maltese work and residence permits were withdrawn as a consequence of the court sentence.

Hou Wen Tao in his protest against the chairman of the ETC and the Director of the Citizenship Department, said that he had lived in Malta for several years.He ran a restaurant in Marsascala and owned property in Attard.

ETC officials some months ago found a woman working on a computer while the premises were closed. He was accused of illegal employment but acquitted.

ETC officials then started inspecting his restaurant very often, sometimes twice a week. During one such raid a chef was found not in possession of his work documents.

Mr Hou said he was subsequently fined €1,600 for illegal employment of a foreigner.

A few days later, he received a latter from the ETC informing him that his work permit was being withdrawn.

Then the Citizenship Department wrote to say that his residence permit would not be renewed beyond the end of this month.

Mr Hou said that such measures went beyond the court sentence and they were excessive and disproportionate to the offence.

He therefore called on the ETC and the Citizenship Department to withdraw their decisions, and held them liable for damages.