High-Level Corruption Cases
Investigations into a restitution case have revealed other, equally serious instances of abuse.
Roxana Vasile, 15.12.2014, 13:51
The Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism Friday presented its annual report. Since its establishment 10 years ago, the institution investigated nearly 65 thousand cases, and over 10 thousand of them resulted in the indictment of over 30 thousand people.
But the image of the institution is stained by the recent corruption accusations brought against its chief, Alina Bica. She was arrested under charges of abuse of office, for misdeeds committed as a member of a committee in charge with the return of property seized by the communist regime.
In 2011, she reportedly approved the payment of nearly 84 million euros to businessman Gheorghe Stelian, as compensation for a 13-ha park in Bucharest, although the fair price of the land was a lot smaller. According to anti-corruption prosecutors, the state lost around 60 million euros in this affair. But information surfaced on Sunday, which indicates that the implications of this case are a lot deeper and other offenses might be related to it.
Currently under arrest pending trial, Alina Bica is now also probed into for having received 3.5 million euros in bribe from another businessman, Ioan Nicolae, in exchange for repeatedly postponing an anti-corruption investigation until the date laid down in the statute of limitation. Apart from the bribe, the businessman allegedly promised Alina Bica to use his political connections to have her appointed prosecutor general of Romania. The deputy PM Liviu Dragnea was supposed to help her, which the Social Democratic leader now vehemently denies:
Liviu Dragnea: “This is the first time that I hear about it, and I would find it amusing if it weren’t so serious. How could I do this? How could I nominate the prosecutor general? I’m not the justice minister, and I’ve never been the justice minister, so how could I make the nomination?”
Meanwhile, the investigations continue in the overpriced property restitution case, which involves very intricate connections and large amounts of money. Alica Bica allegedly received a tract of land near Bucharest, without paying anything for it. And businessman Dorin Cocos, the ex-husband of Elena Udrea, the head of the People’s Movement Party and a presidential candidate in this year’s elections, is accused of having received money for his involvement in the restitution. Politician Elena Udrea, whose friendship with Alina Bica was also long known, denies any involvement in the case.
