IMPARȚIALITATE·INTEGRITATE·EFICIENȚĂ
January, 11th, 2021
No. 22/VIII/3
Press release
In accordance with the legal and constitutional provisions, the chief prosecutor of the National Anticorruption Directorate sent to the prosecutor general of the Prosecutor’s Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice the official report of the case, in order for the latter to notify the President of Romania with a view to requesting the criminal investigation against a person, who, at the time the offence was committed, held the position of the Prime Minister, for committing the offence of bribe taking.
The request of the National Anticorruption Directorate regarding the criminal investigation against the respective person takes into account the fact that, at this moment, there are aspects outlining the reasonable suspicion that:
The respective person allegedly received, indirectly, in the period 2007-2008, from the representatives of an Austrian company, material benefits amounting to USD 800,000, consisting in the payment of consultancy services. In exchange, that person would have exercised its powers so that a series of government decisions would be adopted in favour of the company. The amount of 800,000 USD, representing a fee of the amount of the payments made by the Romanian state to the company, would have been used for the benefit of the dignitary, to cover election campaign expenses, being transferred based on fictitious contracts signed with several offshore companies.
This case-file was constituted in 2018, following the joinder of three criminal case-files, one of which was taken over by D.N.A. prosecutors at the request of the Austrian judicial authorities.
On November 7, 2018, at the request of DNA, the Romanian Senate was notified to approve the criminal investigation against the same person (at that time holding the position of Senator), for committing an offence of bribe taking, and on June 3 2019, the Senate rejected the request to start the criminal investigation of the respective person.
Subsequently, criminal proceedings were carried out regarding the facts and other persons, including a businessman sent to court. (http://www.pna.ro/comunicat.xhtml?id=10179).
As a result of the collection and presentation of additional evidence, new elements emerged outlining the above-mentioned state of affairs with reference to the former dignitary.
The present request for the criminal investigation falls under the incidence of article 305 paragraph 4 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Currently, the person against whom the notification of the Romanian President was sent in order to request the criminal investigation, benefits from the presumption of innocence.
It is worth mentioning that the present press release was drawn up according to article 28 paragraph 1 of the Guide of good practices regarding the relationship of the judicial system with the media, approved by the Decision no. 197/2019 of the Plenum of the Superior Council of Magistracy.
THE INFORMATION AND PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICE