Danjel Bogdanovic, the 36-year-old former national football player, was sentenced to pay a fine of €1,000 by the courts in Gozo. The player, whose name resonated in a political controversy as it was reported that a government official had called for his release so that he would be able to play at a crucial football match in Gozo, stood accused with charges related to domestic violence. He was also charged with carrying an unlicensed gun in his Gozo residence.

On 29 October 2016, the Xewkija Tigers player was held under arrest by the police following a domestic violence incident. The man was arraigned before Magistrate Joanne Vella Cuschieri who heard how the man had threatened his wife in an argument. The magistrate had released him under certain conditions.

He was arrested on a Saturday and released the following Monday. However, according to reports published in MaltaToday, the player was playing with his fellow team mates in a match on Sunday. Reports alleged that it was a call from a government Ministry official who requested that Bogdanovic be released for a couple of hours to play in a crucial match.

However, in the testimony provided by the prosecuting officer Edel Mary Camilleri, it emerged that the football player was released on police bail on Sunday so that he could appear before the court on Monday.

Magistrate Joe Mifsud has lambasted the “irresponsible reporting of the case by the media”.

“The court treated this case just like any other case and the accused has every right to defend himself. This case involves a football player and that is why it drew so much attention. But we have to make it clear that the hype was not caused by the charges themselves.”

He said that the court cannot ignore the insensitivity towards the relatives of the accused. “Journalists have both rights and duties,” he added.

“We don’t want the accused in this country to be judged by an open court in a public square or on a blog. This case ended up as a political football and most of the reports were based on sheer fantasy.”

Clinical psychologist Fr Joseph Farrugia had reported how this case negatively affected the wife and child of the accused due to the fact that this case was well spread in the media. Fr Farrugia said that the children were particularly affected and were finding it hard to confront their school mates.

On January 10 this year, the wife had made a declaration that she would not be testifying in court to protect her children.

On 29 October 2016, Mrs Bogdanovic had filed a report to the police claiming that her husband had sent her a text message with threats. She said the exchange of messages took place after she confronted her husband, on suspicion that he was cheating on her. “I will put you in the ground”, he had replied in a message. 

The court also criticized the prosecution for not being properly prepared for the case and remarked how on certain occasions, corrections had to be made on the charges brought against the man.

The court found him guilty of misuse of communication device and for keeping the weapons in an unsafe place. But the charges of threatening and causing the woman fear for her life were not sufficiently proven. Magistrate Joe Mifsud issued a protection order in favour of the wife and children of the accused, together with a guarantee of €2,000. He also ordered for the weapons license to be revoked for a period of one year.