Romania’s High Court of Cassation and Justice sentenced Alina Bica, the former chief prosecutor of Romania's Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT), to three years and six months in prison for corruption crimes related to the favorable settlement of a case involving local investor Horia Simu.

Simu was also sentenced to four years in prison. Serban Pop, former head of the Tax Agency ANAF, received a five-year sentence in the same case, reports local News.ro.

The decision, however, is not final and can be challenged at the High Court of Cassation and Justice.

Alina Bica is accused of favoring the offender. However, the judges dropped the accusation of bribery, which was part of the prosecutors’ indictment. Horia Simu was sentenced to four years in prison for buying influence, not for bribery. Serban Pop was sentenced for influence peddling, instead of complicity to bribery, as deemed by the prosecutors.

Former head of Romania’s anti-organized crime department gets four years in prison

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