Polish theft convict to be extradited from Malta to serve sentence

A Polish man has consented to his extradition back to Poland after being arrested in Malta on the strength of a European Arrest Warrant.

Rafal Ryszard Karakin was presented before magistrate Yana Micallef Stafrace this morning by police inspector Mark Galea.

Karakin, 28, is wanted to serve a prison sentence in Poland for theft.

Assisted by an interpreter, the man consented to being returned to Poland. He will be held under arrest until the extradition is finalised.

His lawyer, Joe Brincat, appointed as Legal Aid, argued that the man would effectively be in isolation at the Corradino Correctional Facility, as he doesn’t speak Maltese or English. The lawyer asked that Karakin’s return to Poland be expedited for this reason.

Lawyer Ylenia Abela represented the Office of the Attorney General in the proceedings.