Five Ontarians accused of robbing Jame’s Chinese Restaurant and allegedly speeding on Highway 1 have been released on cash bail and must return to court in late August.
Geani Nicolae Costache, Stelian Grancea, Livu Nicolae Lacatus, Constantin Marin and Florica Fardi — four men and one woman, all of Romanian descent — appeared in Moose Jaw Provincial Court on July 25 after police arrested them on Highway 1 near Caronport on July 23.
Judge Brian Hendrickson read their alleged offences to them, saying that on July 23 in Moose Jaw, they allegedly stole Canadian money, bills and receipts with a value less than $5,000 from the restaurant on Fairford Street West.
The judge singled out Marin and Costache, saying they faced additional charges of possessing Canadian, American and Chinese currency worth more than $5,000 they had obtained by crime.
Crown prosecutor Rob Parker explained that he was agreeable to their release if they each paid a cash deposit of $500, attended court when required and did not leave the country. He indicated that Canadian Border Security Agency (CBSA) officials had issued warrants for them because of their immigration status and were considering deporting them.
Parker noted that he was proceeding as if those warrants didn’t exist since he was following the Criminal Code of Canada, which was the appropriate position for him to take. Furthermore, a cash bail was normal in this situation because none of the accused has connections to Saskatchewan.
Due to the offenders’ limited English, an interpreter participated in the court proceeding by video. Every time the judge, Crown prosecutor or Legal Aid lawyer spoke, the interpreter translated to the five individuals; she then gave the offenders’ responses in English.
“We will present ourselves, whatever date you tell us,” one of the individuals said.
“Yes, I can manage (the cash bail) because I have $900 in my wallet that the police have (seized). I need to be released because I have no one (family) here (in Saskatchewan),” another said.
“I was told that when I am released, I would be given (back) this money (from the wallet). Even now, when we were brought here, we were told that it was up to the judge if we were released,” a third said. “I have the money to pay.”
Another accused asked whether it was possible to pay for everyone’s bail using a credit card or phone family to acquire the money, to which the Legal Aid lawyer said both were likely.
The five offenders thanked the judge for freeing them and left the courtroom, where the police released them later that day.
The five will return to court on Wednesday, Aug. 30, where it’s expected they will have acquired a lawyer.
According to a social media post by the Combined Traffic Services Saskatchewan (CTSS) Unit, officers with the Saskatchewan Highway Patrol stopped the suspects on the highway between Moose Jaw and Caronport for allegedly driving 150 kilometres per hour in a 110 km/h zone.
Police said they seized $12,700 in various currencies and arrested all five people. Meanwhile, the traffic stop also involved the Moose Jaw Police Service, the Moose Jaw RCMP and Canada Border Services Agency officers.
The investigation is ongoing.
