A foreign man admitted in court on Tuesday that he had colluded with an immigration official in a scheme to illegally extend the stay of foreigners in Malta.

Macedonian national Zoran Talevski, 36, residing in Gżira, was arraigned under arrest, facing multiple charges relating to the corruption of a public official and various breaches of immigration regulations.

Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech heard worked with a corrupt immigration officer who would stamp the passport of foreign residents, extending their right to remain on the island in breach of law.

Mr Talevski admitted to having carried out the illegal scheme over a number of months.

Earlier, his partner-in-crime was separately charged and handed a two-year jail term suspended for four years. The illicit scheme might also cost the official her job, the court was informed.

When making submissions on punishment, prosecuting inspector Frankie Sammut urged the court to consider the attitude of certain foreigners of “coming to Malta, doing what they wanted and getting away with it.”

Defence lawyer David Bonello countered that his client had fully cooperated with investigators and had an otherwise clean criminal record. He had also entered an early guilty plea. Moreover, his accomplice had been handed a suspended sentence.

The court put off the case for judgment whilst remanding the accused in custody.

IMMIGRATION OFFICER SUSPENDED

The Ministry of Home Affairs said Tuesday's arraignments followed weeks of investigation after suspicions that foreigners who were in Malta for more than three months were having their passports stamped as if they had left and returned, when they would not have actually left Malta. 

An immigration officer was found to be stamping the passports, passed on to her by the Macedonian man. She has been suspended and both were taken to court.