78 CAP. 9.] CRIMINAL CODE Punishment for counterfeiting Public Seal of Malta, stamps, etc., when committed by public officers. 177. Where the person guilty of any of the crimes referred to in articles 171, 172 and 176 is a public officer or servant charged with the direction, custody, or proper application of the seals, stamps, or other instruments, the punishment shall be increased by one degree. Exemption from punishment. Substituted by: IX. 1982.2. 178. Any person guilty of any of the crimes referred to in articles 166 to 177 inclusively, shall be exempted from punishment if, before the completion of such crime and previously to any proceedings, he shall have given the first information thereof and revealed the offenders to the competent authorities. Sub-title II OF FORGERY OF OTHER PUBLIC OR PRIVATE WRITINGS Forgery of acts by public officer. Amended by: XLIX. 1981.4. 179. Saving the cases referred to in the preceding sub-title, any public officer or servant who shall, in the exercise of his functions, commit forgery by any false signature, or by the alteration of any a c t , wr i t i n g , or s i g n a t u r e , o r by i n s e r t i n g t h e n a m e of a n y supposititious person, or by any writing made or entered in any register or other public act, when already formed or completed, shall, on conviction, be liable to imprisonment for a term from two to four years, with or without solitary confinement. Fraudulent alteration of acts by public officer. Amended by: XLIX. 1981.4. 180. Any public officer or servant who, in drawing up any act within the scope of his duties, shall fraudulently alter the substance or the circumstances thereof, whether by inserting any stipulation different from that dictated or drawn up by the parties, or by declaring as true what is false, or as an acknowledged fact a fact which is not acknowledged as such, shall, on conviction, be liable to the punishment established in the last preceding article or to imprisonment for a term from eighteen months to three years, with or without solitary confinement. Delivery of writings falsely purporting to be copies of public acts which do not exist. Amended by: XLIX. 1981.4. 181. Any public officer or servant who shall give out any writing in a legal form, representing it to be a copy of a public act when such act does not exist, shall, on conviction, be liable to imprisonment for a term from thirteen months to two years, with or without solitary confinement. Delivery of copies of acts differing from the original. 182. (1) The punishment laid down in the last preceding article shall be applied where the forgery is committed by the public officer or servant on a legal and authentic copy, by giving out the same in virtue of his office, in a manner contrary to or d i ff e r e n t f r o m t h e o r i g i n a l , w i t h o u t t h i s b e i n g a l t e r e d o r suppressed. Penalty in case of negligence. (2) Where such copy is so given out by the mere negligence of the public officer or servant, he shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine (multa).