An Italian woman fighting extradition had what may well be her last hopes snuffed out today a court found there was no reason why she should not be sent back to Italy.

Donatella Concas.

Donatella Concas, 40, had entered the island by lawful means, but was taken into police custody on October 16 from her Mosta home, when authorities were alerted to the issue of a European Arrest Warrant against her in July 2015.

The woman had previously been found guilty in Italy of having been party to a racket of organised crime dealing in usury, extortion and illegal possession of weapons and had been condemned to a prison term of 3 years and 8 months.

Ms Concas had claimed in court that if she were to be sent back to Italy she risked being killed by ruthless criminals she had testified against.

Her defence had contested the validity of the European Arrest Warrant issued following an alert communicated under the Schengen Information System. In court, it was claimed that since the woman has not been present for the delivery of the judgment before the Corte di Cassazione the request for extradition was not valid.

But an email sent by Italian authoritities confirming the final conviction delivered by a Venice court in February 2014 set this matter to bed.

Since Ms Concas was present for that judgment and had been assisted by her lawyer Antonio Gallo, the court presided by magistrate Aaron Bugeja declared that the extradition request was to be upheld.

The court noted that the rationale behind European Arrest Warrants was to ensure a speedy and less bureaucratic implementation of judicial decisions within the the EU. Questioning such procedures would erode the reciprocal trust between member states, the magistrate said.

The court ordered that Ms Concas be kept in police custody pending her return to her homeland, which in any case cannot be effected before the lapse of seven days.

Inspector Herman Mula and lawyer Vincienne Vella prosecuted, whjle lawyer Malcolm Mifsud was counsel to Ms Concas.