A driver who crashed his car in Swieqi early on Saturday morning, got more than he bargained for when, when it transpired he had not only been driving without insurance cover, but was also targeted by a European Arrest Warrant.
It was an unfortunate twist of fate for Romanian-born Marian Valentin Budescu, the 30-year old Swieqi resident with a Maltese residence permit, who was involved in a traffic accident on Saturday at 7.50am in Triq il-Ghajn, Swieqi.
Police alerted to the site soon discovered that the Ford, bearing foreign number plates, was being driven without an insurance cover and its driver was not in possession of his driver's licence.
Further investigations revealed that the man was the subject of a European Arrest Warrant issued by the Sheriff of Lothian and Borders, Edinburgh.
An alert had been flagged on the Schengen Information System, on September 12, after Mr Budescu had failed to appear before the courts in Scotland where he was facing accusations over a violent house burglary allegedly committed in 2013.
The man was facing a possible maximum punishment of life imprisonment
Under Scottish law, the man was facing a possible maximum punishment of life imprisonment for breaking into the home of an elderly man, assaulting the owner and making off with valuables.
After being granted bail, Mr Budescu had failed to turn up in court, thus sparking off the European Arrest Warrant by the Scottish authorities.
Following Saturday's accident, the man was arrested and arraigned before duty magistrate Doreen Clarke, first in relation to the traffic accident and subsequently, in separate proceedings, in relation to his extradition.
The accused pleaded guilty to having driven without an insurance cover, landing a three-month jail term suspended for one year, as well as the suspension of his driving licence for one year.
Subsequently, before Magistrate Clarke, presiding over a court of committal, Mr Budescu declared that he was willing to face extradition.
The court duly upheld the arrest warrant request and remanded the man in custody pending his return to Scotland after the lapse of the 10-day period prescribed by law.
Lawyer Alfred Abela was defence counsel. Inspector Matthew Spagnol prosecuted in the first arraignment, while inspector Mark Galea handled the EAW prosecution.