A young tourist who stole a pouch with €1,100 a few minutes after arriving from Italy last week, was arrested by police a few days later as he was about to board his return flight, a court heard on Wednesday. 

Yassa Ashar Malak Mehawed Ghali, a 20-year-old Egyptian who lives in Italy and works in lighting design, arrived in Malta with friends on August 14.

As he walked out of the airport terminal he spotted a green bag unattended by a stone bench. He waited for a few minutes, then dipped his hand inside the bag, drawing a plastic pouch containing some €1,100 in cash, a court was told.

A police report was lodged by the owner who discovered that the money was missing.

Starting off with CCTV footage from the area, police successfully pieced together information obtained from an airline company and a cab business.

Ghali was arrested on Tuesday at the airport as he was about to catch a flight back home.

He missed that flight and instead ended up in police custody.

Under questioning he admitted to the wrongdoing, explaining that €500 found in his luggage was all that was left of the stolen cash.

During his arraignment, Magistrate Astrid May Grima asked prosecutors what  the accused had done with the rest of the money.

Prosecuting Inspector Roxanne Tabone said that he had been staying in Paceville and partying with friends.

After consulting legal aid lawyer Leontine Calleja, Ghali admitted to the theft. 

The prosecutor said that the accused had cooperated and immediately admitted to the theft. Although what he did was wrong, he was only 20 and had an untainted record.

The defence also highlighted the accused’s young age and the fact that he had promised to pay back the €600 he had spent.

After hearing submissions the court condemned the accused to a one-year jail term suspended for three years.