Passenger Falsely Claims To Possess Bomb Creating Chaos At Malta International Airport
A 21-year-old passenger was conditionally discharged for three years after falsely telling airport ground handlers that he was carrying a bomb in his backpack as reported by Times of Malta.
The passenger, Tah Osama Ali Edriz, a Libyan national living in Swieqi, was waiting to board his flight to Bergamo, Italy on Thursday morning. He was stopped because his hand luggage size was not according to the dimensions for cabin bags.
The man paid €75 for the luggage to be checked in and when asked if he had any electronic devices, the man said that he was carrying a bomb. Naturally, the incident caused some agitation and prompted aviation security to intervene and remove Edriz from the boarding queue, after which he was arrested. Police inspector Mohammed Shurab informed the court that Edriz’s declaration to Aviaserve employees was followed by an argument with the groundhandlers after they refused to allow his hand luggage on board the plane.
View this post on Instagram
Edriz apologised immediately for his actions at the airport and during his statement to the police. In court, Edriz pleaded guilt to maliciously spreading false news and making a false statement relating to his luggage to airport officials. Edriz fully cooperated with the police and felt bad about his actions, as the prosecution told the court.
Defence lawyer Roberto Spiteri explained that Edriz only had personal belongings in his backpack and insisted that his client made the statements as a joke and never imagined that what he said would cause such a commotion. Edriz was fined for his actions as suggested by Shurab.
“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.
Do you think that a fine was a suitable punishment for the incident?
READ NEXT: White Taxis Call For Designated Pick Up Point At Malta International Airport
