Romanian duo involved in card cloning scandal appear in court

The two Romanian suspects arrested for card cloning on January 21st at the Kennedy Estate in Port Moresby appeared before the Waigani Committal Court this morning for arraignment.

Accused Tudor Vasile, who was initially apprehended by city wardens in downtown Port Moresby on January 3rd and subsequently released by the police, was arrested again along with his accomplice, Lingurar Alexandru.

This arrest followed police surveillance of their movements and a review of CCTV footage from various ATMs.

It was alleged that the accused are part of a syndicate that arrived in Port Moresby from Romania on a tourist visa in 2024.

While in the country, the accused were observed at BSP ATMs and EFTPOS machines from October to December of last year, making unauthorized withdrawals using cloned gift cards.

The unauthorized withdrawals totaled K39,737.00, funds that rightfully belong to BSP customers.

The Romanian men were charged with data espionage, electronic fraud, false pretenses, theft, and dealing in criminal property.

The police prosecutor handling the case, Sandra Holland, informed the court this morning that there was a communication barrier because the accused could not speak English.

Ms. Holland stated that the arresting officers used Google Translate to communicate with the individuals while they were in police custody.

Magistrate Paul Puri Nii stated that, regardless of the crime committed or the origins of the accused, the laws of the court will prevail. He therefore granted the prosecution team two weeks to find a translator who can translate Romanian for the court's benefit.

Mr. Nii also explained to the accused that the laws in this country require that the five charges brought against them be communicated during their arraignment.

He stated that an arraignment cannot proceed if there is a language barrier with the accused until a translator is provided.

Magistrate Nii confiscated the accused passports and utilized the remand warrant to maintain their custody.

The court has been adjourned until February 19th to allow the prosecution time to find a Romanian translator.