The wife of former Home Affairs' Minister Emanuel Mallia has been ordered to pay €2,221 in hospital bills to Mater Dei Hospital after a court this morning upheld a garnishee order requested by the Chief Medical Officer.

Elena Codruta Cristian had spent a few days in hospital - between December 16 and 21 2008, to give birth to twins.

In July 2009 the hospital sent Ms Cristian an official letter asking her to pay the bills due. The letter that remained uncontested but no payment was made.

In August 2013 the hospital obtained a garnishee order and, in line with normal court procedure in such cases, Lombard Bank transferred the amount owed by Ms Cristian, to the Law Courts, until the case was decided.

In September 2013 the Chief Medical Officer filed a court application asking to withdraw the payment from the courts.

In January this year Ms Cristian filed a reply claiming that the request was null since there had been mistake in her name in the official documents. Her middle name was written as Corduta and not Codruta.

In April she filed another reply in which she noted that, although she was not yet a Maltese citizen in 2008, it was not contested that the father of the babies was Maltese and that her children were Maltese citizens.

But Magistrate Gabriella Vella noted that the arguments raised by Ms Cristian in January and April were legally inadmissible.

This was because, according to law, Ms Cristian failed to contest the July 2009 official letter within the 20 days allowed by law. This meant that, as a result, the Chief Medical Officer had executive title over the money.