Fugitive arrested at Croatia-Serbia border faces fresh arraignment

A man who absconded while facing prosecution for armed robbery and hauled back to Malta on the strength of a European Arrest Warrant after being arrested at the Croatia-Serbia border four months ago was remanded upon his arraignment yesterday.

Vladimir Pajic, the 28-year-old Serbian national, was arrested by Croatian police in October last year while trying to cross the border into Serbia.

He was arrested on the strength of a European Arrest Warrant issued by the Maltese authorities who asked for the man’s return to face criminal proceedings allegedly linking him to the violent crime.

Pajic was one of three suspects charged in November 2022 following an armed holdup at a Naxxar apartment.

Two aggressors, later identified as Pajic and Victor Markovic, held up a Dutchman and a French woman at gun and knife point, making off with cash and other belongings worth over €2,000.

The woman, Milica Kurcubic, was charged alongside the two men after it turned out that she was allegedly an accomplice, facilitating the crime.

All three pleaded not guilty.

While criminal proceedings continued, Pajic absconded from the island.

Following his arrest in Croatia, he underwent extradition proceedings, not consenting to the extradition and later also filing an appeal.

The court in Croatia upheld the Maltese authorities’ request, paving the path for the man’s return to Malta.

That final judgment delivered by a Croatian court was presented in court yesterday when Pajic was arraigned, facing the solitary charge of breaching bail conditions.

Defence lawyer Shazoo Ghaznavi raised a legal issue as to whether that judgment – presented to the court in its original Croatian version – extended to the alleged offence of breach of bail or was limited to the charges linking Pajic to the Naxxar robbery.

Considering those submissions and since both parties agreed that the proceedings called for clarification, that foreign judgment was to be translated.

The court, presided over by Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit, appointed an expert to translate the document.

Meanwhile, the accused was to remain in preventive custody until the issue was resolved.

Inspectors Lydon Zammit and Stephen Gulia prosecuted. Lawyers Shazoo Ghaznavi, Charlon Gouder and Jessica Formosa were defence counsel.