4:04pm Monday 8th March 2010
By Elizabeth Pears
A FAMILY of Romany gypsies are facing allegations of fraud following accusations they cheated the benefits system.
The four Dumitru brothers, who all live in council houses in Tottenham, are accused of benefitting from a scam designed to sidestep immigration laws in order to receive National Insurance (NI) numbers — essential to receive benefits.
Stelian Dumitru, 23, of no fixed abode, Ardelean Dumitru, 24, of Walpole Road, Daniel Dumitru, 20, of Robert Burns House, Northumberland Park, and Christian Dumitru, 29, of Junction Road, are all facing charges of conspiracy to defraud and fraud by misrepsentation.
Stelian's girlfriend, Leventica Vasile, 24, of Roberts Burns House, and Christian's girlfriend, Paula Mihai, 29, of Junction Road, also face the same charges.
The couple have six chidren.
Concerns were raised by the Department of Work and Pensions following an unusually high number of applications involving Roma applicants.
Lavinia Olmazu, 30, and Alin Enachi, 29, of Woodford Green, listed as directors of a charity called Roma Concern, also face the same charges.
Olmazu, a mother-of-one, is a camapigner of gypsy rights and is accused of being the ringleader of the scam which netted £2.6 million.
All eight accused have appeared before City of Westminster Magistrates Court on Friday.
They will appear at Southwark Crown Court on May 6.
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