Witty Serbs purchase EU passports to remain in Malta

A Serbian couple was yesterday jailed for three months after they pleaded guilty to purchasing European Union passports in order to remain in Malta without having to obtain a visa.

Aleksander Zlatkovic, 25, and his girlfriend Ana Ivanovic, 23, both from Serbia, pleaded guilty to purchasing passports belonging to Slovenian and Bulgarian nationals because their visa to stay in Malta had expired.

Mr Zlatkovic also pleaded guilty to forging an official document by tampering with the passport he had purchased.

The court, presided over by Magistrate Giovanni Grixti, heard that the couple's stay in Malta was regular until their visa expired.

In an attempt to solve this problem, Ms Ivanovic purchased a passport and an identity card belonging to a Bulgarian woman while Mr Zlatkovic purchased a passport belonging to a Slovenian man. Bulgaria and Slovenia are both EU members and so their citizens do not require a visa to remain in Malta.

The Bulgarian woman resembled Ms Ivanovic so no changes were made to the documents. However, Mr Zlatkovic had made changes to the passport he had purchased and instead inserted his photo and his particulars.

Police Inspector Edel Mary Camilleri prosecuted.

Lawyer Renzo Porsella Flores appeared as legal aid for the couple.