Romania’s National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) asked on Thursday, March 19, for the Senate’s approval to arrest acting Finance Minister Darius Valcov. The DNA prosecutors are investigating Valcov for bribery and influence peddling during his mandate as mayor of Slatina, a city in Southern Romania.

DNA started Valcov’s prosecution last week. The prosecutors questioned the finance minister on Friday but released him. Valcov said he was innocent and initially declared that he wouldn’t resign.

However, on Sunday, Valcov handed Prime Minister Victor Ponta his resignation. Ponta said he would accept Valcov’s resignation after he finished working on the new fiscal code. The PM wants the Government to approve the new fiscal code project, which includes several tax cuts, next Wednesday (March 25) and to send it to the Senate by the end of the month.

After DNA's request to arrest Valcov, Ponta said on Twitter that he decided to accept his resignation. The PM must now send President Klaus Iohannis a new proposal for Finance Minister.

The anticorruption prosecutors alleged Darius Valcov took EUR 2 million after helping a local businessman land a contract while he was the mayor of Slatina in 2009. The now Minister received 20% of the public contract during 2010, always directly and always in cash. The media wrote that Valcov even went to a cemetery once to receive the money.

Darius Valcov, who turns 38 next week, has been Finance Minister since December 2014. He served two mandates as mayor of Slatina, from 2004 to 2012. In 2012, he moved from the Democratic Liberal Party (PDL) to the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and won a seat in Romania’s Senate.

editor@romania-insider.com