Separated woman arranges marriage of convenience for boyfriend to live in Malta
A separated Maltese woman who wanted to live with her Egyptian boyfriend has been given a one-year jail term suspended for four years after she pleaded guilty to arranging a marriage of convenience between her boyfriend and another Maltese woman.
Carmen Saliba, 48, of Hamrun, pleaded guilty to arranging the marriage so that her boyfriend Yassir Saad Hassan Bayoumy, 34, could stay in Malta and she could live with him.
Mr Bayoumy was charged with entering into the marriage and with being a relapser. He was also given a one-year jail term suspended for four years.
Frances Gatt, 49, of Birkirkara, was given a six-month jail term suspended for two years after she pleaded guilty to marrying Mr Bayoumi for convenience.
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63 Comments
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M Pace
Aug 13th 2010, 21:47
Divorce will lead to these type of marriages unfortunately. Thats just my opinion.
Mike F Abbot
Aug 14th 2010, 12:37
only in the same way that cars lead to accidents
Sue Vella
Aug 14th 2010, 20:58
On the other hand if divorce was legalised, the separated woman could obtain a divorce and marry her Egyptian boyfriend herself.
Dr Joe Brincat
Aug 13th 2010, 21:05
How do you define a "marriage of convenience" ? This expression makes me smile.
If a girl is pregnant by her boyfriend and marries him, is it mofc ?
If a bachelor is told by his mother to marry so that when she passes away, there is someone to take care of him, and he does, is it mofc?
I could carry on................
Gerry Cowie
Aug 13th 2010, 19:35
I am at a loss to understand what the connection is between a marriage of convenience and divorce law! In the UK , some C of E clergymen are awaiting sentence for performing sham marriages in order that people could get around immigration rules. Both are crimes, are they not? Surely nobody has been driven to a marriage of convenience. Such a marriage would not even require a divorce law!
Daniel Micallef
Aug 13th 2010, 15:56
This is a wake up call for the little island to finally introduce DIVORCE!!!!!!
It would most certainly solve some hidden problems :-)
Jen.Bold
Aug 13th 2010, 15:13
@ Mario Sammut
I know for a fact that this rich rich island harbours many MALTESE that have never done an ounce of work in their life and live off social security benefits funded from taxes that I and many other hard workers pay annually. So please don't generalize!
@ C Ellul
Yes a Muslim can have more than one wife technically, however islam dictates that he must treat them all equally and what he gives to one he must give to the others. Therefore, if he buys wife A a palace, he must buy wife B another palace of the same value. If he gives wife A 2 hours of attention he must give wife B the same time. Also, to marry a second wife he must have the approval of his first wife. So if wife A does not agree, he cannot enter into a second marraige. Reality is that very few are affluent enough to afford having more than one wife, and infact, very few do.
George Cassar
Aug 13th 2010, 22:08
Jen.Bold What does actually happen in practice in Muslim countries? He says talaq 3 times and he'd divorce his wife if she doesn't agree to his other wives.
Dunstan Camilleri
Aug 13th 2010, 14:36
Well done to the Magistrat because finally we are catching the bull from it's horns.
Stephen Koludrovic
Aug 13th 2010, 13:32
So now Carmen can keep her toyboy, and Frances as an abandoned wife, can sue him for maintenance.
Daniel Micallef
Aug 13th 2010, 15:50
In my opinion we all should consider seriously the DIVORCE issue that this little island needs so badly. Looks like it is about time we officially have it here. This would avoid many "unofficial" relationships.
Matthew Attard
Aug 13th 2010, 13:26
While marriages of convenience are wrong, one should also see the woman's side to things. She had no alternate way out to stay with someone who she possibly loved, due to lack of divorce..
Does no one question why in Malta there isn't a temporary partner visa system like there is in most of the other countries world wide? This is a ridiculous show of power and inhumane way to end a relationship that would have obviously been real. It is questionable why one would organize such a feat for someone they would not care for.
Having said that there should be rules and regulations of marriages with non eu countries. However there should also be incentives and humane possibilities for an honest couple to remain together.
m.abela
Aug 13th 2010, 14:00
Now we are reasoning things out ! PROSIT !!!!!!!!!
Joe Camilleri
Aug 13th 2010, 14:14
Matthew Attard they can go to their partner's country. This is our way of life and if you don't like it you are free to leave.
Matthew Attard
Aug 13th 2010, 14:27
@Joe Camilleri, with your frame of mind, Malta will not get anywhere. So what if the woman had a secure job, a business, children from her past marriage. What will she do? According to you she should leave? There is a specific law, in the EU code of human rights which she can actually look up that defends couples in this circumstance. ( I do not know the code so if you question my intelligence about it, you look it up )
And the people working for her? Family ? Friends? Why should she change her life all over just because there isn't a mere partner visa program like there is every where else in the world.
You clearly have never been in the position, and it shows by your narrow minded answer.
I.Borg
Aug 13th 2010, 14:50
@Matthew Attard - prosit for your reasoning
@Mr.Camilleri, with your reasoning - hypothetically - If Mrs.A is separated because her husband used to beat her up and she now has a foreign boyfriend who she obviously loves, she should leave everything she has here just so that she can go to his country and be happy with him there, no? What if his country has the same mentality we do here?! Can these people be NOWEHERE together just because in Malta we do not have divorce or a fair annulment system?!
Kyle Xuereb
Aug 13th 2010, 15:03
@Joe Camilleri: Constructive non-conservative criticism would be appreciated. Thankyou.
Pierre Sacco
Aug 13th 2010, 18:45
@ Matthew Attard and the rest of the "progressive" folk: A 48 year old woman "in love" with a 34 year old Egyptian. I beleive it's more of an infatuation than actual love! Therefore, divorce is not the answer.
E Gatt
Aug 13th 2010, 20:28
@Pierre Sacco-Matthew Attard and the rest of the "progressive" folk: A 48 year old woman "in love" with a 34 year old Egyptian. I beleive it's more of an infatuation than actual love! Therefore, divorce is not the answer.
Are you really that close minded to say that she cant love him simply because he is 14yrs younger?! Wake up-we`re in 2010! I know so many couples were the husband is much older then the wife or vice versa!
Joe Camilleri
Aug 13th 2010, 22:13
Matthew Attard and the modern commentators. So do you expect that if she chooses to have several foreign lovers they should all be allowed to come to Malta and remain here? Our society has its norms and laws and those deviants who do not want to observe them should get the punishment they deserve.
Pierre Sacco
Aug 17th 2010, 19:33
@E Gatt. I'm afraid Mr Broad Minded has not taken my point. I know that there are couples with the female being older than the male, but I'm wide awake enough, and realistic enough that such partnerships the like the persons involved got to is nothing more than an infatuation. Sadly, a lot of not so bright Maltese women fall in the trap of these foreigners, especially mid east blokes, who's intention is far from being love. They marry for convenience.
m.abela
Aug 13th 2010, 13:24
@all.....
Judging by what is being said there are so many biased people out there.... There are many foreigners in this country that Work HARD and pay taxes legally.
Does anyone recall back in the 70's the hundreds of Maltese that went abroad to make a living.?? Is this not a similar situation.
An EU citizen can come and work when he pleases and do as he pleases, yet someone of NON EU origin is not permitted or is given a hard time to do so! This is discrimination. I am not saying that every tom dick and harry should be permitted, however there should be circumstances like that of this couple to allow them to live together and have a chance like any other couple!!!
Grow up live and let live, I wish this couple the best !
Good Luck
Salvu Sciberras
Aug 13th 2010, 14:02
m.abela foreigners should not be able to work in Malta because we have thousands of our own workers unemployed and the foreign workers lower wages and working conditions of Maltese workers. I wonder if you are an employer seeking cheap labour.
Pierre Sacco
Aug 13th 2010, 18:52
Yes, some foreigners may be working and contributing to our economy, as after all the Maltese who emigrated did. In fact they emigrated to work hard. But, the facts show, that many of these so called prospective foreign workers, are nothing other than a burden to our society, and add up to the other bunch of Maltese who beleive that they don't have to work because they have the sacro sanct right to be maintained by their fellow citizens. And they never put up a penny's worth of work.
m.abela
Aug 14th 2010, 08:22
@s schiberras
Actually not an employer.........!!!!
Mario Sammut
Aug 13th 2010, 12:59
I know for a fact that this rich rich island is full of mainly mid eastern men claiming full benefits from our hard earned social security payments because they managed to marry Maltese women to worm their way towards our benefit system. After a while they seperate from their infatuated wife , go on the dole , they come and go as they please , probably impregnate a few more women on the way , and on Saturday morning they are busy waiting for the postman for the cheque from yours truly. Thats the life hey!!!! How rich this little rock has become !!!
m.abela
Aug 13th 2010, 13:26
if they weren't mid eastern............ would it make a difference to you ?
T Camilleri
Aug 13th 2010, 13:59
Mario Sammut you are right. African illegal immigrants are also doing that. The law must be amended so that if someone enters into a marriage of convenience s/he must be expelled back to his/her own country and banned for life from ever entering Malta again.
Joanna Bonello
Aug 13th 2010, 12:45
What about the women who enter marriages to foreigners (namely mid eastern), only to find that they were only used by these men to obtain their citizenship? Can anybody shed some light on if it is possible to have citizenship renounced?
Tommy Cassar
Aug 13th 2010, 14:03
Anyone who obtins citizenship fraudulently should have his citizenship revoked and expelled for life from Malta.
V. DIMECH
Aug 13th 2010, 12:09
The Egyptian should have been taken straight from the court to the airport instead of giving him such a sentence. Meta se nitghallmu????
Paul Fenech
Aug 13th 2010, 14:04
perfectly agree with you. Send him back forthwith.
Richard Vella
Aug 13th 2010, 12:06
Or she can go and live with him in EGYPT !!
Stephen Koludrovic
Aug 13th 2010, 13:00
And what if he,s already married there.
C Ellul
Aug 13th 2010, 13:09
Men can have more than one wife from where he came from.
Women cannot have more than one husband , if they do they are stoned to death.
These guys should be sent back to where they came from.
If his local concubine loves him , she will follow him to kingdom come.
if not , she will not follow him to kingdom come.
Simple!!!.
Paul Barrett
Aug 13th 2010, 12:04
When you think about it from a humane, emotional and none legal view, this was a common sense ingenious way, without actually hurting anyone else, to get around the bureaucratic, stubborn refusal of the law makers to bring in a simple secular divorce law .
Marriage of convenience aside, how many "married" people are actually living with someone else other than their lawfully wedded spouse. I suspect that there are many of them and indeed in some cases, other than close friends many do not even know that the couple living together are not actually married to each other or have indeed forgotten.
Joe Caruana
Aug 13th 2010, 13:28
Ronald Biggs entered into a marriage of convenience when he was on the run. It is very common in countries like America and Australia where "marriage for citizenship" is big business. Marry, get citizenship then get the "quick and simple" divorce. The authorities have to deal with sham marriages very firmly. More importantly "simple" divorce will encourage marriage for citizenship not less it.
Joe Gauci
Aug 13th 2010, 14:07
Paul Barrett it hurts the citizens of the country because these low lives do it to cheat and end up on the dole at our expense. Send them all back without any hesitation.
Stephen Koludrovic
Aug 13th 2010, 11:58
So, is the marriage still on or off.
Marius Zulgis
Aug 13th 2010, 11:55
Bigamy is a crime even in countries which allow the human right called divorce. Breaking the law is no solution to any couple's difficulties but simply exacerbates their problems.
J oatmon
Aug 13th 2010, 13:40
Bigamy is not a crime in most Muslim countries, a man may have up to four wives legally. This is why I am always amazed by European girls marrying Arabs for example, after marriage the husband can select another woman to marry etc, and they all have to stay in the same house, because no wife cannot leave the house without her husbands permission (and she cannot travel to another country without permission also - so no escape).
But the 'do gooders' do not recognize this 'legal fact' for Muslim wives, nor do they understand that a man may commit adultery (it is not a crime), but for a woman it is a crime.
For a woman to prove rape she must have four male witnesses - many people choose not to believe these facts, but they are true nonetheless. This is why the muslin religion is despised by many - it is a giant leap backwards, in human rights and equality.
A.Portelli
Aug 13th 2010, 11:53
Hasbu li Divorzju diehel ghada!
R.Borg
Aug 13th 2010, 11:48
This is a clear case where our courts should declare this marriage null and void.
Another clear symptom of the ignorance and /or evil that prevail in this island home.
Libera nos Domine
C Galea
Aug 13th 2010, 11:55
These persons are fully entitled to live together but the archaic and outdated laws of malta prevent them from doing so. Bring divorce in and bring it now. Admittedly they did wrong but love has no boundries.Everybody deserves a second chance in life, stand up all those that are really free of any wrondoings.
Joe zammit
Aug 13th 2010, 14:09
C Galea she can join him in Egypt and be one of his concubines.
martin saliba
Aug 13th 2010, 21:14
@ R. Borg & Joe Zammit. Your christian hearts bleed for your brothers in christ. If that is not evil then what is.
Joe Zammit
Aug 13th 2010, 22:17
martin saliba evil is what they did.
joseph cachia
Aug 13th 2010, 11:36
This Egyptian has no logic reason to be in MALTA.
Just extradite him.
With a suspended jail term , he is still living in MALTA.
A. Schembri
Aug 13th 2010, 12:09
and being a relapser!!
C Galea
Aug 13th 2010, 14:01
he has not gone skinny dipping yet that is probably why he is still in malta????
T. Krysto
Aug 13th 2010, 11:20
This shows how urgent Malta needs "Divorces" to help this people.
J Spiteri
Aug 13th 2010, 11:33
Marriage is a life choice not child's play !
G. Casaletto
Aug 13th 2010, 12:05
Yes, I guess there would be need for divorce if keeping a boyfriend in the country was the basis for your marriage!
David Thake
Aug 13th 2010, 12:42
@ Jspiteri.
Please stop telling people how they should live their lives. Live yours by your own book and noone should interfere with YOUR choices. Stop making mine...
N Bonnici
Aug 13th 2010, 12:50
Well said J Spiteri. If you ain't certain dont marry. One has to marry his/her partner based on how much they love each other and not based on how long they have been going out together. Some couples tend to get married only because they have been going out with each other for a long time and tend to forget whether they really LOVE each other or not. No wonder with the first argument they break up/separate. I dont wanna imagine what will happen if divorce will become legalised in Malta. Poor children. it will be the beginning of the end for Maltese families. Kulhadd ikompli ihawwad u jgerfex. Marriage is a commitment. If you are not ready for commitment simply dont get married. Divorce is just an easy way out. Then alot will end up saying before getting married "U iva umbaghad hemm d-divorzju!!"
j gatt
Aug 13th 2010, 13:06
@J Spiteri, seem this case is an exception, isn`t it? Call it what you will, if this is not a game (married bliss) then if one`s not mistaken, it may be called a threesome?
Marraige is fast becoming or has become a Contract and a Trade, some says, not even fit for pigeons.
Divorce will not solve the marriage break down. It is only a way out of one that failed. The breakdown has already occured
Old sayings,
It is better to have loved and lost than, not to have loved at all.
If at first you do not succeed try and do`nt give up.
Yet some would say that, variety is the spice of life. These days, many are seeking variety with lots of spice.
Beware, it is written, that, one`s life should be an endless struggle & sacrifice, or else one`ll roast in hell.
Take yr pick my friends, you`re free to choose, Or are U?
Taliban have spread their wings?
Live your life the way you choose, but, let live. Let others roast in hell to their hearts content.
The perfect world would be, if all went to heaven, even Satan might repent, thru being lonely
Joseph Micallef
Aug 13th 2010, 13:09
No matter how certain one is - as we say it in Maltese "Iz-zwieg kaxxa maghluqa" - and this is exasperated further by the fact that sex before marriage is frowned upon!
patrick zammit
Aug 13th 2010, 13:18
N Bonnici
"Poor children. it will be the beginning of the end for Maltese families."
In what way would the situation of children be more negatively effected by the introduction of divorce in relation to the situation of those children who's mother is living with another partner who is not their father.
Do you know that our law already caters for children during and after seperation?
T. Krysto
Aug 13th 2010, 13:30
You already have separation, isn't it nearly divorce? Just with the different you can't get married again? So where is the big deal to complete it?
If someone has a problem with divorce because of his faith, it's ok. But not everyone in this country is catholic and believes, so let the get married without involving the church and allow them to get divorced.
I personal find it very sad, that here are people in this country which already has been married, got separated and can't get married again. Especially if they are in Love with a Non EU Partner, that means after 5 Years they have to finish their Love and break up!?
N Bonnici
Aug 13th 2010, 14:05
@patrick zammit - in what way? let me think.....simply because it would be easier for a married man and a woman to choose divorce over trying to reconcile for the sake of holding the family together. Thus, with a higher divorce rate, more and more children will have to face that not so nice reality (being that their parents arent no longer together), and that their parents are living with their boyfriends, which with all the help a child can get (and getting nowadays also) would still be hard to accept or try to deal with. Mothers that way and fathers the other way. Wow thats a nice picture in a child's mind!! (yeah right). With how things are now (no divorce) families arent lasting long. It will be even worse when divorce is legalised. You may not see/imagine it now but once it happens it will be TOO LATE!!!
Evelyn Cassar
Aug 13th 2010, 14:11
T. Krysto divorce only exacerbates the problem with social services seekers happily indulging in our system at our expense.
Joe Camilleri
Aug 13th 2010, 14:13
T. Krysto they can go to their partner's country. This is our way of life and if you don't like it you are free to leave.
patrick zammit
Aug 13th 2010, 14:36
N Bonnici
The absence of divorce legislation has not and will not stop people leaving a marriage they no longer believe in.
If divorce legislation stipulates a condition whereas a couple cannot apply for divorce before spending 4/5 yrs as a separated couple, your concerns would be put to rest.