Public officer admits to receiving bribes to stamp passports - police

A public officer charged with bribery admitted he had been accepting money for stamping passports for three years, stamping between 40 and 45 passports and charging about Lm50 for each, the Magistrates' Court heard yesterday.

Police Inspector Jeffrey Cilia said the officer, whose name and designation cannot be published by court order, told him he had accepted passports from a Syrian man by the name of Hamid Haj Habo who usually took him passports belonging to Libyan or Syrian friends whose visa had expired.

"[The officer] would then stamp them twice with an exit stamp and an entry stamp so that the passport would reflect a lawful situation."

Inspector Cilia yesterday testified before Magistrate Joseph Cassar in the compilation of evidence against the public officer, who is pleading not guilty to forging seals, stamps or other government marks at the airport on October 21 at 5 p.m.

He is also pleading not guilty to receiving bribes, two counts of forgery, giving false information to the authorities, receiving someone else's passport, forging a passport and forging an immigration document.

The officer is also charged with committing a crime he was duty bound to prevent.

Inspector Cilia yesterday said he was given instructions to assist Inspector Neville Xuereb in investigating a forgery case on October 22.

He spoke to Inspector Xuereb who told him he had ordered the arrest of the public officer and two Syrian men - Habo and Hasan H. Hasan Dghaim - a day earlier.

The three men were arrested at the airport at about 5 p.m. and searched. Two passports belonging to the Libyan men were found in Habo's possession, while Lm200 were found in the officer's pocket and another Lm600 in his pouch.

Inspector Cilia said Inspector Xuereb told him that shortly before the arrest, Dghaim, who wanted to go to Libya, had had his passport stamped by the officer.

Dghaim's passport showed that his three-month visa had expired.

Inspector Cilia said the passports found in Habo's possession each bore an exit stamp dated October 20 and an entry stamp dated October 22 when he had been arrested on October 21.

Inspector Cilia said all three men initially denied their involvement in the case but the officer eventually admitted his involvement and released a statement.

"[The officer] told me he knew Habo was a Maltese citizen. Habo had contacted him and asked him to stamp two passports and to allow a Syrian man, whose visa had expired, through passport control so he could go to Libya on October 21.

"He told me he had been working at the airport and went downstairs at the appointed time for Habo to indicate Dghaim to him.

"He then went back upstairs, called Habo and let the phone ring once to signal that Dghaim could go upstairs. When Dghaim arrived he recognised him, stamped his passport and let him through.

"After he let Dghaim through, he phoned Habo again to signal that he was going back downstairs. He went downstairs and took the lift to the third floor with Habo and gave him the two stamped passports for which he got Lm200.

"The Lm200 included the stamping of the two passports, aiding Dghaim through passport control and another job he had not yet been paid for."

Inspector Cilia said the officer told him he had not used his own stamps to stamp the passports but those of his colleagues and that there were other men besides Habo who sent people to him for such purposes.

The inspector added that the officer's version was eventually corroborated by statements released by Habo and Dghaim.

Dghaim followed the inspector to the witness stand and explained that his uncle had suggested he ask Habo to fix his expired passport so that he could leave Malta for Libya.

He said he met Habo at Ta' Cassia about two weeks before he was arrested.

"I asked Habo if I owed him anything but he told me that all I had to do was bring a present for him when I returned to Malta. Till now I have not given him anything and I did not pay anyone," Dghaim said.

He yesterday recognised the defendant as the man who had stamped his passport.

Dghaim also said he had been sentenced for his part in the matter after pleading guilty to forging seals, stamps or other government marks, offering bribes, giving false information to the authorities, transferring his passport, making use of a forged passport, forging an immigration document and being in Malta illegally.

He was given a one-year jail term suspended for four years and will be deported.

Inspectors Cilia and Xuereb are prosecuting.

Dr Raphael Fenech Adami is appearing for the officer.