A judge has annulled a marriage between a Maltese man and a Russian woman who met on an internet dating site after hearing that her sole objective was to obtain dual citizenship.
The couple tied the knot just a few months after the woman flew to Malta and later began exerting pressure to obtain dual citizenship, leading the judge to note how it was “blatantly obvious” that this was the only aim of the marriage.
Madam Justice Abigail Lofaro heard how the couple married in April 2003, just a few months after meeting on an internet dating site for Russians seeking a stable relationship.
The man accessed this site after breaking off a five-year relationship. He was attracted to the woman through a photograph on her profile and correspondence began via e-mail.
Sometime later, the woman told him she wanted to fly to Malta to get to know him in person and he paid her air fare. This led to them deciding to marry.
The court heard how the first three years of marriage were fine but in the fourth year the woman was insisting on dual citizenship. The man told the court how the pressure began when his wife started meeting other Russians living in Malta.
The citizenship process began but was taking time. In the meantime, she was spending a lot of time on the internet and abandoned all household commitments.
The couple started having frequent arguments on the matter until one day the woman left Malta unannounced and never returned.
The court heard how the couple met again in Russia but she had no intention of returning to Malta.
They agreed to initiate divorce proceedings in Russia but she then told him to start the process in Malta instead. After that, there was a total breakdown in communication between the two. She did not even attend court proceedings in Malta.
Madam Justice Lofaro noted how the man should have thought twice before agreeing to marry someone he had met over the internet after stumbling upon her profile on a site used by foreigners seeking a better life in another country.
“It is obvious and unequivocal that the marriage was one of convenience and nothing more,” the judge said, referring to woman’s intention. “It was evident that the woman wanted to obtain dual citizenship and nothing else.”
mxuereb@timesofmalta.com