Romanian baby 'cost Mooneys pounds 4,000'
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Your support makes all the difference.THE British couple accused of trying to smuggle a baby out of Romania paid USdollars 6,000 ( pounds 4,000) for the child, Emil Dinu, the chief prosecutor in the case, said yesterday, writes Adrian Bridge from Bucharest.
He said that the bulk of the money, which was handed over on 5 July, went to three Romanians who acted as intermediaries. Only dollars 1,200 went to the baby's parents. Adrian and Bernadette Mooney, from Wokingham in Berkshire, have been formally charged with offences against Romania's adoption and border laws. Their trial is expected to start before the end of July. They face up to five years' jail if found guilty.
Mr Dinu said that he was aware of at least one other case of a British couple involved in child smuggling out of Romania last year. He did not name the couple, but appealed to them to return the child.
In yesterday's statement, the prosecutor said that the three Romanians in the Mooney case and the 17-year-old parents of the baby would be tried on child-trafficking charges.
The Mooneys were arrested after border guards caught them trying to cross into Hungary with a five-month-old baby girl concealed in a picnic basket. They have since been held in separate police cells in Bucharest. They are expected to make an application for bail tomorrow.
Mr Dinu said he appreciated that the Mooneys probably felt 'shattered' by the charges. 'But,' he added, 'we are speaking of crime and I will be doing my best to fight in court against the idea that a human being can be sold as a commodity for whatever reasons.'
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