Bail loophole lets Romanian hoods escape to Britain
ROMANIAN criminals are using a legal loophole to delay prison terms so they can travel to Britain – then exploiting EU law to avoid extradition because of the size of jail cells back home.
The crooks, including gangsters and smugglers, are given permission to travel here while on bail.
Then in another slap in the face for British taxpayers, they are given legal aid in the UK to appoint lawyers who block their extradition on the grounds that standard two-metre square Romanian cells fall foul of EU human rights.
A Romanian legal source said: “There are scores of criminals and suspects using the loophole. Courts allow it to happen.
“Once given permission to fly to the UK, they know their lawyers will stop them being sent back.”
Politicians called for a tightening of the law to prevent the scam.
Former Shadow Home Secretary Ann Widdecombe said: “It really does seem simple: the Romanian government should do what our own police regularly do and routinely confiscate the passports of anyone given bail.
“We are not a Schengen country so you still need to show an EU passport to enter Britain.”
She added: “If the police and courts are allowing those on bail to travel, then they cannot be very serious about extradition requests.
“Given that it appears to be an EU-wide problem, then the EU should deal with it by requiring member states to refuse travel rights to those on bail unless exceptional cause can be shown.”
Prosecuted
Among those known to have skipped bail in Romania to come to the UK is Anastasescu George Alin.
He was prosecuted for allegedly shunning fire checks at his Bucharest club where 64 died in a blaze – but allowed to fly to London. His whereabouts are now unknown.
In a test case in the summer, UK judges ruled two Romanian fugitives could not be returned because conditions of jails at home alarmed the European Court of Human Rights.