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THE former girlfriend of the Macedonian ambassador to Australia, Pero Stojanovski, has been arrested and was expected to be charged last night with menacing the ambassador, breaking into his home and attempting to blackmail him.
Lidija Dumbaloska appeared yesterday in the Parramatta Local Court, where details were aired of how her relationship of more than a year with the ambassador had soured so badly that it ended in allegations of blackmail, burglary and an affair.
Ms Dumbaloska was arrested on New Year's Eve after Australian Federal Police searched her Bankstown home and seized items, including a laptop.
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The federal police told the court that Ms Dumbaloska was expected to be charged with serious offences including blackmail, burglary and using a carriage service to menace or harass the ambassador.
But her lawyer, Kylie Anderson, told the court the matter had nothing to do with the ambassador's official position - it was just a personal situation gone bad.
''It was a domestic relationship that has gone sour and has escalated,'' Ms Anderson said.
The court was told that trouble started for the couple on Christmas Eve, when their relationship broke down.
Police have alleged that 37-year-old Ms Dumbaloska, an electrical engineer with RailCorp for 11 years, broke into the Canberra home of the ambassador last Monday and took items including a laptop, briefcase and hotel receipts. Ms Anderson said the only reason Ms Dumbaloska took the items was because she believed Mr Stojanovski had been having an affair.
But police said they would also allege Ms Dumbaloska had made threats to the ambassador, including ''seeking his resignation'' and threatening that she would put information on the internet that was likely to cause him distress.
Police say they will also allege that Ms Dumbaloska had told the ambassador that she would only return the laptop in exchange for money. Police arrested her on New Year's Eve and held her in custody overnight.
Yesterday, even though Ms Dumbaloska had not yet been charged with any offence, they successfully argued that she be refused bail because she had ''menaced the Macedonian ambassador'' and was likely to re-offend and cause distress to him in this matter.
The police said they had not laid charges against Ms Dumbaloska because they had had insufficient time to examine the laptop.
Ms Anderson argued that Ms Dumbaloska had promised to attend any future court hearings and should be granted bail.
However, bail was refused and she was to be transferred to Canberra in police custody where police told the court she was expected to be charged.
Ms Dumbaloska was remanded to appear in court in Canberra tomorrow.
Mr Stojanovski was unavailable for comment.
Lidija Dumbaloska appeared yesterday in the Parramatta Local Court, where details were aired of how her relationship of more than a year with the ambassador had soured so badly that it ended in allegations of blackmail, burglary and an affair.
Ms Dumbaloska was arrested on New Year's Eve after Australian Federal Police searched her Bankstown home and seized items, including a laptop.
Advertisement: Story continues below
The federal police told the court that Ms Dumbaloska was expected to be charged with serious offences including blackmail, burglary and using a carriage service to menace or harass the ambassador.
But her lawyer, Kylie Anderson, told the court the matter had nothing to do with the ambassador's official position - it was just a personal situation gone bad.
''It was a domestic relationship that has gone sour and has escalated,'' Ms Anderson said.
The court was told that trouble started for the couple on Christmas Eve, when their relationship broke down.
Police have alleged that 37-year-old Ms Dumbaloska, an electrical engineer with RailCorp for 11 years, broke into the Canberra home of the ambassador last Monday and took items including a laptop, briefcase and hotel receipts. Ms Anderson said the only reason Ms Dumbaloska took the items was because she believed Mr Stojanovski had been having an affair.
But police said they would also allege Ms Dumbaloska had made threats to the ambassador, including ''seeking his resignation'' and threatening that she would put information on the internet that was likely to cause him distress.
Police say they will also allege that Ms Dumbaloska had told the ambassador that she would only return the laptop in exchange for money. Police arrested her on New Year's Eve and held her in custody overnight.
Yesterday, even though Ms Dumbaloska had not yet been charged with any offence, they successfully argued that she be refused bail because she had ''menaced the Macedonian ambassador'' and was likely to re-offend and cause distress to him in this matter.
The police said they had not laid charges against Ms Dumbaloska because they had had insufficient time to examine the laptop.
Ms Anderson argued that Ms Dumbaloska had promised to attend any future court hearings and should be granted bail.
However, bail was refused and she was to be transferred to Canberra in police custody where police told the court she was expected to be charged.
Ms Dumbaloska was remanded to appear in court in Canberra tomorrow.
Mr Stojanovski was unavailable for comment.
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