A Roma gang accused of selling a newborn  to a childless couple for £6,500 and a car has told a French court that the child was 'a gift' Four Roma men and women appeared in a Marseille court today, accused of human trafficking and being involved in several similar 'baby sales'. Six others are facing related charges in what prosecution documents described as 'a two thousands piece puzzle built around four births'. Human trafficking: Carmen and Mike Gorgan, pictured speaking to their lawyer in the courtroom of Marseille's Criminal Court today, are accused of paying a Roma gang £6,500 and a BMW for newborn baby boy Tony . At the centre of the scandal was Ilie Ionita, a 35-year-old Romanian, and co-conspirators Valeriu Rosu, 42, Florian Stan, 33, and Florin Coman 25. All face up to 10 years in prison and fines equivalent to more than £1million. They deny the charges against them, saying the babies were 'a gift'. The only defendant not in court was Fana Moses, the 32-year-old mother of the baby boy called Tony whom the gang sold. In July 2013, Marseille detectives received an anonymous tip that a Romanian woman had just given birth and had given the child to Mike and Carmen Gorgan, aged 27 and 28. The four accused Roma gang members deny the charges against them, saying the babies were 'a gift' Both were accused of 'complicity in human trafficking', but their lawyer, Patrick Gontart, insisted: 'They do not believe they have done anything wrong'. The Roma gang was arrested as they prepared to board a flight from Italy back to Romania. At first all denied that money or good had been exchanged, but it was quickly established that Mr Gorgan had handed over 9000 euros(£6,565) and the BMW to Ionita. Mr Gontart said: 'For a month and a half, Carmen behaved like Tony's mother and was very well treated.' He said the couple had 'fallen into the trap of many European couples. These are good people who are now unhappy because their child has been placed in a home.' Documents including identity cards were falsified to try and make it look like the parents who bought the baby were the biological mother and father. They had been trying for children unsuccessfully for ten years, the court heard. At least three other cases of babies being sold were then tracked down, both on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica and on the mainland. In all, two boys were sold, while other transactions broke down. All of the children are now back with their biological mothers, or else have been taken into care by social services. OICEM, the organisation against modern slavery, is a civil party in the case – one which it says highlights the growing problem of poor immigrants offering children for sale. Referring to baby Tony's case, OICEM director Nagham Hriech said: 'There was canvassing, exchange and even negotiations.'The case, which is expected to last two days at Marseille Correctional Court, continues.
Roma gang 'sold' newborn baby to childless French couple in 2013.
Gang received £6,500 and a car, but claims the boy was a 'gift'
Faked ID to make it look like Frenchwoman was baby's mother.