Former tourism minister Elena Udrea has been extradited back to Romania to serve a prison sentence of six years. Bulgarian authorities transported her to the Giurgiu-Ruse border crossing point on Thursday, June 16. A car from the Romanian National Administration of Penitentiaries picked her up from there and took her to the Targsor Prison in Prahova county.

Udrea will be quarantined for 21 days before being imprisoned with the other inmates at the women’s prison near the city of Ploiesti, according to Hotnews.ro.

Elena Udrea, one of the most powerful women in Romania during the mandate of former president Traian Basescu, was sentenced to six years in prison in early April for bribery and abuse of office. She left the country before the court ruling and was caught in Bulgaria, where she was detained for more than two months until a Bulgarian court cleared her extradition.

The corruption case in which Elena Udrea was convicted was nicknamed “the Bute Gala” by the local media. The case is related to a boxing gala held in Bucharest in 2011, which featured a world title match between Romanian champion Lucian Bute and French boxer Jean-Paul Mendy. Elena Udrea was indicted and then sentenced for illegally approving the boxing gala's financing by the Tourism Ministry to have her name associated with this event and get electoral benefits.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/George Calin)