Bulgarian nationals in court for bank card skimming

They will return to court next Wednesday, as an interpreter was not available.

The charges were not read to Dimitar Georgiev, 47, and Toncho Tonchev, 22, by Magistrate Cheron Raphael, who told them she was adjourning the case to facilitate the translator.

Prosecutors told the court they were unable to find a translator locally and would have to wait until one was able to travel from St Lucia.

As she was adjourning the case, Georgiev said he wanted to plead guilty so that he could return home quickly after serving his sentence.

“I am guilty and I want to say sorry,” the fisherman said, but the magistrate rejected his attempt to plead guilty.

“You must understand before you plead guilty. The court must err on the side of caution and protect its processes,” Raphael said.

The men were arrested last Friday by the Arouca CID who had received reports that two men were tampering with a Republic Bank automated teller machine at Piarco Plaza in Piarco.

They were charged with possession of card-making and skimming equipment under the Electronic Transfer of Funds Act and for malicious damage of the bank’s equipment.

During their court appearance yesterday, PC Shelly Plante from the Fraud Squad, who charged them, said Georgiev and Tonchev entered the country legally and were due to return home yesterday.

Raphael told Plante to contact the Immigration Division to issue detention orders as the men would be overstaying their time while on remand over the next week.

They were not represented by an attorney and one is expected to be appointed by the court.