Passenger falsely claims he was carrying a bomb at departures desk
'Such jokes are not a joke at all' - magistrate warns the accused
A 21-year-old passenger was conditionally discharged for three years after falsely telling airport ground handlers he was carrying a bomb in his haversack.
Taha Osama Ali Edriz, a Libyan national living in Swieqi, was waiting to board his flight to Bergamo, Italy on Thursday when he was stopped because his hand luggage was not according to the dimensions for bags kept in the cabin.
The man paid the €75 for the luggage to be checked in and when asked if he had any electronic devices, the man said he was carrying a bomb.
The incident caused some agitation prompting the aviation security to intervene and remove the man from the boarding queue.
He was subsequently arrested.
Edriz immediately apologised for what he had just done both at the airport and during his statement to the police.
In court, Edriz pleaded guilty to maliciously spreading false news and making a false statement relating to his luggage to airport officials.
The prosecution told the court that the man fully cooperated with the police and felt bad about what he had just done.
Police inspector Mohammed Shurab added that Edriz’s declaration to Aviaserve employees caused “some chaos” and that it followed an argument with the groundhandlers after they refused to allow him to take his luggage as hand luggage.
Shurab said in this case a fine would be a suitable punishment.
Defence lawyer Roberto Spiteri explained that the man had only personal belongings in his haversack. He insisted that his client had only claimed that he had a bomb as a “joke” and never imagined it would have caused such a commotion. He also apologised with everyone involved.
The lawyer requested that his conditionally discharged in view of the circumstances of the case.
After hearing the submissions on punishment, the court found the man guilty by his own admission and conditionally discharged him for three years.
“Such jokes are not a joke at all,” Magistrate Rachel Montebello told the accused, adding that one cannot go and say such things irrespective of one’s intention.
Police inspector Mohammed Shurab and Roxanne Tabone prosecuted while lawyer Roberto Spiteri assisted the accused.