The Australian government is preparing its case to deport Novak Djokovic after he admitted to attending an event and interview in Serbia after testing Covid-positive.
Australia's Department of Home Affairs' investigation was widened today to include his breach of isolation requirements in Serbia, incorrect statements given on his travel declaration form and inconsistencies on the date of his COVID-19 test.
The tennis world no. 1 is currently in Melbourne fighting for a chance to retain his Australian Open title next week, but is still facing the prospect of deportation after days of legal battles and uncertainty.
Djokovic's hopes were dented further today as it was reported the investigation had been widened, a decision that came after he posted a lengthy social media post apologising for the breach in Serbia, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.
Djokovic could also be facing trouble at home. Under Serbian law, where anyone Covid positive must isolate for 14 days, a breach of the measures can carry a maximum sentence of three years behind bars.
And in Australia, lying on travel documentation can result in a 12-month prison sentence, while providing false information to to the Federal Circuit Court under the Crimes Act can carry a maximum jail sentence of five years.
This could be of concern to the tennis star, who wrote in a sworn court affidavit he was 'tested and diagnosed' for Covid on December 16 - contradicting his claim he was told of his positive result on the 17th after attending the event with children.
It has also been revealed by the French journalist who interviewed Djokovic - without knowing that the men's world number one had tested positive for coronavirus - that he was told not to ask him about the vaccine as it was 'very sensitive'.
Pictured: Novak Djokovic in Marbella playing soccer on a tennis court with his brother on January 4. Djokovic left for Melbourne later that day, but his representative said on his travel declaration form that he would not travel outside Serbia in 14 days before arrival in Australia
December 17: The maskless tennis World No. 1 posed for pictures with the children in Serbia at a public PR event. He said on Wednesday he didn't know he had Covid until after the event
The Australian government is now preparing its case to deport Novak Djokovic (pictured in Melbourne today) after he admitted to attending an event and interview in Serbia after testing Covid-positive
Djokovic has been the subject of intense scrutiny for presenting awards to children at a tennis event in the Serbian capital Belgrade on December 17 - a day after testing positive to the virus, and for attending an interview the following day.
He is also under fire for making a false declaration before landing in Australia, an offence punishable by up to 12 months in jail. Djokovic claimed in his social media post on Wednesday that his agent filled in the form.
In answer to the question: 'Have you travelled, or will you travel, in the 14 days prior to your flight to Australia?' Djokovic's agent selected 'no', despite the player being in Spain in the days prior to his departure to Australia.
There are also unanswered questions over when the 20-time Grand Slam winner actually learned he had Covid, with German publication Der Spiegel casting doubt on his PCR test after QR Code information was uncovered that 'did not match up'.
Separate to Australia's Department of Home Affairs' investigation, immigration Minister Alex Hawke said today he is considering cancelling Djokovic's visa.
In an update to Australian media, Hawke's spokesman acknowledged receiving 'lengthy further submissions' from the player's lawyers.
'Naturally, this will affect the timeframe for a decision,' he said. Hawke is expected to hand down his decision on Thursday.
Novak Djokovic, pictured with his wife Jelena, has hit out at 'misinformation' over claims he tested positive to Covid and then attended an event with children
Djokovic said he attended a basketball game on December 14 and then found out multiple people at the event had tested positive to the virus. Pictured: Djokovic reacts during a basketball match between Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade and FC Barcelona at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall on December 14, 2021 in Belgrade, Serbia
Immigration Minister Alex Hawke (pictured) is expected to hand down his decision on Thursday with bureaucrats from the Department of Home Affairs' investigating inconsistencies in the tennis star's story
The Serbian star flew into Melbourne a week ago claiming a vaccine exemption because of a positive PCR test result on December 16. Unvaccinated travellers are banned from Australia unless they have a valid exemption.
Border agents rejected his exemption saying a recent infection did not qualify, tore up his visa and placed him in a detention centre.
But the vaccine-sceptic Djokovic's high-powered legal team dramatically overturned the visa decision in court on Monday on a procedural matter related to his airport interview, giving the player hope he would fight for a record 21st Grand Slam.
Djokovic, who is a vaccine sceptic, attempted to address a number of concerns about the situation in a lengthy statement posted to his Instagram page on Wednesday, but several questions still remain.
The tennis star admitted attending an event with children while he was Covid positive, but said he didn't know he was infected until shortly afterwards as he addressed questions about his positive Covid test in mid-December.
The 34-year-old lashed out at 'misinformation' and claimed it wasn't until after the event that he learned he was Covid positive.
But the Serbian did own up to then conducting an in-person interview with French newspaper L'Équipe knowing he was positive, a mistake he put down to an 'error in judgement'.
However, the French journalist who interviewed Djokovic - without knowing that the men's world number one had tested positive for coronavirus - has now said he was told not to ask him about vaccination for the virus.
Franck Ramella spoke with the men's world number one in Belgrade on December 18, two days after the date Djokovic has stated he tested positive for Covid-19.
Ramella wrote: 'The instructions were clear - no questions about vaccination.'
The journalist said the topic was clearly 'very sensitive'.
'So we didn't ask him if he had made efforts to get tested. If we had asked him, what would have been the point?'
Writing in the paper on Tuesday, Ramella said the L'Equipe photographer asked Djokovic to remove his mask for five minutes during the interview, but he refused.
The player did later pose without a mask for a photo.
Ramella said he only learned 'three weeks later' that Djokovic had tested positive but that he himself had tested negative after the interview.
Djokovic also admitted his agent made an administrative error and accidentally ticked an incorrect box about his travel history.
In his lengthy post, Djokovic wrote: 'I want to address the continuing misinformation about my activities and attendance at events in December in the lead-up to my positive Covid test result.
'This is misinformation which needs to be corrected, particularly in the interest of alleviating broader concern in the community about my presence in Australia, and to address matters which are very hurtful and concerning to my family.'
Djokovic said he attended a basketball game on December 14 and then found out multiple people at the event had tested positive to the virus.
He said he took a rapid antigen test, which came back negative, and then an official PCR test the same day 'out of an abundance of caution'.
DECEMBER 25, SERBIA: A photo uploaded to Twitter on Christmas Day shows Djokovic with handball player Petar Djordjic in Belgrade
DECEMBER 31, SPAIN : Video uploaded by a tennis training academy on New Year's Eve purports to show Djokovic training in Marbella
JANUARY 2, SPAIN: Another image uploaded to Twitter by a fan appears to show Djokovic training in Marbella last week
LEFT - JANUARY 4, SPAIN: Novak Djokovic in Marbella playing soccer on the tennis court with his brother Marko and the coach before going to Australia. RIGHT - JANUARY 5, AUSTRALIA: Novak Djokovic stands at a booth of the Australian Border Force at the airport in Melbourne on January 5 after arriving from Spain, via Dubai
In answer to the question: 'Have you travelled, or will you travel, in the 14 days prior to your flight to Australia?' whoever filled out Djokovic's travel declaration form selected 'no'. That means the 34-year-old tennis player would have needed to remain in the same country since December 21. But social media images appeared to show that he was in Belgrade, Serbia, on December 25 and then in Marbella, Spain, from December 31 until catching his flight to Australia, via Dubai, and landing in Melbourne on January 5
The Serbian claimed he only found out about his positive PCR result in the hours after the Belgrade tennis awards event.
'The next day, on 18 December I was at my tennis centre in Belgrade to fulfil a long-standing commitment for a L'Équipe interview and photoshoot,' he said.
'I cancelled all other events except for the L'Équipe interview.'
Djokovic admitted the decision to follow through with the interview was an 'error of judgement'.
'I felt obliged to go ahead and conduct the L'Équipe interview as I didn't want to let the journalist down, but did ensure I socially distanced and wore a mask except when my photograph was taken,' he said.
'When I went home after the interview to isolate for the required period, on reflection, this was an error of judgment and I accept that I should have rescheduled this commitment.'
Djokovic also blamed an administrative error on his Australian travel declaration for misleading officials about his travel in the weeks before he arrived in Melbourne.
The tennis star flew to Spain and then onto Australia before being detained by border officials last Thursday, but checked 'no' to a travel declaration form question about travel in the 14 days before landing in Melbourne.
'This was submitted by my support team on my behalf - as I told immigration officials on my arrival,' he said.
'My agent sincerely apologises for the administrative mistake in ticking the incorrect box about my previous travel before coming to Australia.'
Djokovic said the mistake was a 'human error' and in a pandemic 'sometimes these mistakes can occur'.
'Today, my team has provided additional information to the Australian government to clarify this matter,' he said.
In the final page of his Instagram post, Djokovic said he would be making no further comment 'out of utmost respect for the Australian government'.
Djokovic wrote in a sworn court affidavit he was 'tested and diagnosed' for Covid on December 16 - contradicting his claim he was told of his positive result on the 17th after attending the event with children in Serbia.
The penalty for providing false information to to the Federal Circuit Court under the Crimes Act can carry a maximum jail sentence of five years.
But the inconsistencies don't stop there.
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