Romania’s High Court (ICCJ) on June 21 “permanently suspended” the seven-year jail sentence against fugitive Romanian businessman Gabriel Popoviciu, given in 2017 for illegal appropriation of 224ha in the northern part of Bucharest. The case will be re-judged, Digi24 reported.

The High Court upheld the decision issued in May by the Court of Appeal and ruled out the objections expressed by the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA). 

The unexpected decision was based on a small detail that, CAB claims, completely changes the entire picture, according to Gandul: new evidence “not known at the moment when the case was ruled [in 2017]” proved that Popoviciu was not the one who decided on the destination of a bribe (liqueur and whiskey bottles plus promotional materials) given to some anticorruption officer.

To put it in perspective, however, the case generates prejudices in the amount of EUR 200 mln, targeting 224 ha of land in an exquisite part of Bucharest.

iulian@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea)