Border dodgers duck conviction

TWO of the Queensland women who sparked a massive COVID scare after breaching strict border rules last year have escaped convictions.

Instead, Haja Umu Timbo and Diana Lasu received community service orders for lying on border declaration forms after travelling back to Queensland from Melbourne at the height of the southern state’s second wave.

Brisbane Magistrates Court was told the resulting scare caused a massive spike in testing, costing Queenslanders more than $338,000.

The pair and a third woman, Olivia Muranga, were charged with fraud and providing false or misleading documents in July.

On Friday, Timbo and Lasu, both 21, pleaded guilty to failing to comply with a

COVID-19 health direction at Brisbane Airport.

Charges of fraud and providing a false or misleading document were dismissed against each woman.

Lasu shielded her face from waiting media as she entered court. Both women sat quietly and showed little emotion through proceedings.

The court was told Queensland declared a public health emergency in January last year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

By July, people entering Queensland were required to make declarations about their health, including any visits to coronavirus hotspots.

Hotspot visitors were required to go into hotel quarantine for two weeks at their own expense if they wanted to enter the state. Victoria was declared a hotspot on July 3.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Lisa Pye said Timbo and Lasu had been fined for attending a large Airbnb party in Melbourne that month – during the height of the state’s second wave.

On July 22, both submitted an online application for a border pass to enter Queensland but did not select the right option when disclosing they had visited a COVID-19 hotspot. In doing so, they avoided the thousands of dollars for a mandatory 14-day quarantine period.

Timbo did not test positive to coronavirus upon returning but Lasu was infected and later attended hospital.

Sergeant Pye said the resulting scare caused a surge in COVID tests and cost taxpayers upwards of $338,000.

Both Timbo and Lasu were ordered to serve 80 hours of community service. Convictions were not recorded.

Ms Muranga will face a plea hearing on April 15.