Deportation order for Serbian woman who gave false information

Magistrate Doreen Clarke has meted out a suspended sentence and ordered the removal from the island of a Serbian woman who admitted to giving false information to the immigration authorities in an attempt to stay in Malta.

Principal Immigration Officer police inspector Frankie Sammut charged 23 year old Bojana Tonic, a Serbian national living in Qrendi, with making a false declaration to the police at the airport on 14 February. She was also accused of giving false information required under the Immigration Act.

The tearful young woman had to be comforted by her lawyer, Giannella Demarco, as she pleaded guilty to the charges.

Demarco pointed out that the woman had a clean police conduct, had admitted at the earliest possible stage and had cooperated fully with the police when questioned. “The charges are on the lowest scale of seriousness,” said the lawyer, adding that an effective prison sentence would not be apt in the circumstances.

“She did what she did because she wanted to stay here. The fact that she’s going to be sent away is already causing her anguish.”

Tonic was sentenced to one year in prison, suspended for three years. The court warned her that committing another offence in the EU during the three years would result in the sentence being rendered active. The woman was ordered to be removed from the island with immediate effect.