A Czech national is to be extradited from Malta to serve time behind bars in his country for tax evasion.

Marek Drga was arrested in Malta on the strength of a European Arrest Warrant issued in Brno in November 2019 after he evaded VAT payments by making fraudulent declarations.

The man’s lawyer had challenged the extradition by arguing that the crime for which Drga was wanted in the Czech Republic was not an extraditable offence.

Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech, rejected that argument, pointing out that all legal pre-requisites for extradition had been satisfied.

She pointed out that tax evasion was also a criminal offence under Maltese law albeit punishable with a fine and possibly with a maximum six-month jail term when the tax due was more than €100.

In this case, Drga faced a prison term of four years, two months and 17 days.

Inspector Mark Galea prosecuted.