Court Rulings in Major Corruption Files
Arrests and final rulings passed in high-profile corruption cases.
Valentin Țigău, 03.04.2015, 13:46
The Romanian High Court of Cassation and Justice on Thursday gave three rulings of detention pending trial or extension of custody in several cases involving politicians accused by the National Anti-Corruption Directorate of having broken the law.
Decisions were made in the case of two Social Democrats, former finance minister Darius Valcov and the mayor of Constanta, Radu Mazare, as well as in the case of Elena Udrea, a former minister and head of the People’s Movement Party. The latter will be held in temporary police custody until end-April. Udrea is charged with abuse of office and bribe taking in what is now called the “Bute Gala” case, a boxing gala attended by Romanian boxer Lucian Bute in 2011. Prosecutors say Elena Udrea, a minister at the time, allegedly cashed in 10% of the value of the contracts she awarded for the organisation of the gala.
Former finance minister Darius Valcov will also spend Easter behind bars. The Supreme Court has upheld the anti-corruption prosecutors’ appeal and replaced the home arrest sentence in his case with temporary detainment. Valcov is charged with having taken bribes in exchange for awarding public contracts while a mayor of the town of Slatina. Valcov is also investigated for corruption in a separate case, for offences committed while a minister.
The prosecutors’ appeal was also upheld in the case of Radu Mazare, the mayor of Constanta, who on Thursday was taken into police custody pending trial. Investigators say Mazare received 9 million euros to sign the construction permits for some shopping centers, and to sign a contract for the city’s sanitation valid for 25 years.
Also on Thursday, the Court of Appeals passed the final ruling in the case of Ion Niculae, the richest Romanian according to Forbes. Niculae will spend 2 years and a half in jail for the illegal financing of the presidential campaign of Mircea Geoana, back in 2009. This is the first final sentence in a case regarding the financing of election campaigns.
In his turn, Gheorghe Bunea Stanciu, the former chairman of the Braila County Council, who convinced Niculae to finance Mircea Geoana’s campaign, is also behind bars. Niculae allegedly agreed to contribute 1 million euros to Geoana’s campaign, on condition that he had a say in the appointment of the economy minister and of the heads of major state-owned companies operating in the field of natural gas production and distribution. In his turn, Mircea Geoana has repeatedly denied knowing anything about where the money came from.
