A French student was today given a three-year jail term suspended for four years and fined €15,000 after being found guilty of stealing  company data and trying to sell it to a rival firm.

Samvel Barsegian, 20, residing in St Julian’s, admitted to trying to sell data belonging to Engel & Völkers to a rival estate agent.

Inspector Jonathan Ferris told a court that when the person he tried to sell the data to realised it was stolen, he immediately contacted Engel & Völkers, who informed the police.

Sources said the data contained login details to Engel & Völkers global back-end system.

Inspector Ferris said the student, who was working a three month internship for Engel & Völkers, cooperated with the police fully and was sorry for his actions. 

On being informed that he would not be able to leave Malta before paying the fine, the French consul offered to guarantee the payment in order to allow Mr Barsegian to return to France.

Inspectors Jonathan Ferris and Roderick Agius prosecuted.

Lawyer Noel Bianco was legal aid. 

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