Man contesting two European Arrest Warrants for fraud, failing to pay child support

A Croatian man is contesting two separate European Arrest Warrants issued by courts in his home country, where he is wanted on charges of fraud and failure to pay child support.

Robert Lukadinovic, 47, did not consent to being returned to Croatia when he was arraigned in court by Inspector Roderick Spiteri on Thursday.

The municipal courts of Osijek and Vukovar requested Lukadinovic be returned to Croata in order for him to face charges of defrauding a company out of €18,500 in 2016 in one case and failing to pay a total of €5,700 in child support for his two children between 2018 and 2019 in the other.

He faces up to 10 years in prison if found guilty of the fraud charge and a maximum of three years in jail for the other offence.

Lawyers Jacob Magri and Arthur Azzopardi, who are assisting the wanted man, did not request bail at this stage, but said that they will be exhibiting their evidence in the next sitting later this month, when the case continues before Magistrate Leonard Caruana.