Cap. 220 Art. 171Unlawful purchase, etc., of military stores.

(1) Any person who, whether in or outside Malta, acquires any military stores or solicits or procures any person to dispose of any military stores, or acts for any person in the disposing of any military stores, shall be guilty of an offence against this article unless he proves either -

(a) that he did not know, and could not reasonably be expected to know, that the things in question were military stores, or

(b) that those things had (by the transaction with which he is charged or some earlier transaction) been disposed of by order or with the consent of the Commander or some person or authority who had, or whom he had reasonable cause to believe to have, power to give the order or consent, or

(c) that those things had become the property of an officer who had retired or ceased to be an officer, or of a man of the force who had been discharged, or of the heirs or legatees of a person who had died.

(2) A person guilty of an offence against this article shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine (multa) not exceeding two hundred and thirty-two euro and ninety-four cents (232.94) or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months, or to both such fine and imprisonment.

(3) In this article -"acquire" means buy, take in exchange, take in pawn or otherwise receive (whether apart from this article the receiving is lawful or not);

"dispose" means sell, give in exchange, pledge or otherwise hand over (whether apart from this article the handing over is lawful or not); "military stores" means any thing of any description belonging to the Government which has been issued for use for military purposes or is held in store for the purpose of being so issued when required, and includes any thing which had belonged, and had been issued or held, as aforesaid at some past time.

Provisions as to evidence