A French tourist who attempted to fly back home before getting his COVID-19 test result was fined in court after presenting a false certificate at the airport. 

Fernandes Thomas Sylvestre, a 28-year French national, was taken into police custody on Sunday morning after turning up at the Malta International Airport with a false COVID-19 test certificate which he presented when checking in for his flight at 9:30am.

But that certificate turned out to be false. 

The man was escorted to court on Monday, admitting to having made a false declaration to airport authorities and to having used a false test result. 

The court was told that the tourist had apparently booked a COVID-19 test, but when the result was delayed, had decided to travel anyway, making use of a falsified certificate instead.

Upon the man’s own admission, the court, presided over by magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit, declared him guilty and fined him €800. 

Monday’s case follows a number of other similar incidents over the past weeks, including that of a Brazilian footballer who had sought to travel out of Malta after his plans to play for a local club failed. 

He had presented a false COVID-19 certificate at the airport since his test result was not available on the departure date.

Inspector Silvio Magro prosecuted. 

Lawyer Charmaine Cherrett was defence counsel.