A former manager of a fast food store who stole around €7,000 from the safe of the chain’s Valletta outlet has been placed under probation for three years.

The man had admitted to the crime and had been remanded in custody pending the drawing up of a pre-sentencing report.

The prosecution had explained how a police report had been filed at the Valletta station about the theft from the shop safe.

CCTV footage had put investigators on the tracks of Mr Soimosan, who was arrested at Malta International Airport as he was about to catch a flight back to his homeland.

In her pre-sentencing report, a probation officer had recommended that the accused be placed under probation to ensure he could continue to receive treatment for his gambling addiction “and thus minimize the risk of him repeating an offence.”

In the light of this recommendation, magistrate Gabriella Vella placed the accused under a three-year probation order and a three-year treatment order. The magistrate also took into account his clean conviction sheet, his early guilty plea, his serious gambling problem as well as the fact that he had fully reimbursed his former employer.

Inspectors Priscilla Caruana Lee and Jeffrey Scicluna prosecuted. Lawyer Maria Karlsson appeared parte civile.