Romanian national Robertino Oprescu, who once dubbed himself Tariq Aziz, was today acquitted of conning nearly half a million dollars from the Karl Heusner Hospital with forged checks and bogus companies.
Oprescu faced a total of 18 charges, 9 counts were for forgery and the other 9 were for claiming upon a forged document for the scams he masterminded in September of 2002. He allegedly set up two companies, one of them named after an office stapler, and forged large checks from the KHMH to these companies. Those checks were cashed by two secretaries he hired. Oprescu was captured in May of 2004 and confessed to police. That caution statement was admitted into evidence but Oprescu took the stand in his own defense and refuted it.
After deliberating for three hours, the 9 member jury returned with a unanimous not guilty on all 18 counts. Oprescu however isn't free to go. He is wanted in Romania for similar crimes. So after he was acquitted he returned to police custody. While in the clutches of police custody, Oprescu told Keith Swift he doesn't want to leave the country.
Keith Swift,
You were acquitted, anything to say?
Robertino Oprescu,
"I really can't say nothing right now."
Keith Swift,
You are going to be deported back to Romania.
Robertino Oprescu,
"Apparently it is an order made by Minister Fonseca which is not dated. It is unconstitutional. This is another violation that is made regards to me. I have a baby and a family here and I've lived here for six years. That is the situation."
Oprescu doesn't have a choice since an expulsion order has already been signed by the Minister of Home Affairs. Oprescu couldn't have been extradited because Belize has no extradition agreement with Romania. We should note that Scotia Bank still wants its money and they are eyeing a couple hundred thousand dollars frozen in an Alliance Bank Account for Oprescu. He was defended by legal aid attorney Deshawn Arzu. Cheryl Lynn Branker-Taitt was the prosecutor.
It is interesting to note that while Oprescu was charged for masterminding the scam, he never cashed any checks. The two women who did cash those checks weren't charge in exchange for their testimonies against Oprescu.
