Former presidential candidate Alexandru Cumpanasu was indicted by the Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) in Constanta for providing false data in a European-funded project run by the National University of Political Studies – SNSPA, local G4media.ro reported quoting sources close to the DNA investigation.

The anticorruption prosecutors believe that Cumpanasu lied about his higher education studies when he applied for an expert position within this project, which was implemented by the Ministry of Development in partnership with SNSPA.

Under the law, “the use or presentation in bad faith of false, inaccurate or incomplete documents or declarations, if the act leads to the wrongful obtaining of funds from the general budget of the European Union or from the budgets administered by it or on its behalf, is punished by imprisonment from 2 to 7 years and the prohibition of some rights.”

According to the wealth statement submitted to the Central Electoral Bureau before the presidential elections, Alexandru Cumpanasu received a monthly salary of more than RON 5,500 from SNSPA in 2018 and another RON 4,900 a month from the Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation Funding (UEFISCIDI), although he has no higher education, local G4media.ro reported.  After the local media revealed that Cumpanasu has no higher education, SNSPA re-verified the data provided by the former presidential candidate and announced that, depending on the results, it would take the necessary legal measures.

Alexandru Cumpanasu reacted to the recent media reports on his Facebook page. In a post published on Sunday, December 15, he confirmed that he was heard at DNA Constanta two days after the elections, and said that his last correspondence with the prosecutors took place just a few days ago, when he was informed that “nothing more is needed to clarify the case.” He also claims that he didn’t submit false documents when he was hired by SNSPA, and that the university has to answer about the legality of the employment.

Alexandru Cumpanasu is mainly known as the uncle of Alexandra Macesanu, the girl kidnapped and killed in the town of Caracal last summer.

newsroom@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Facebook/Alexandru Cumpanasu)