The Romanian Supreme Court ICCJ has suspended the six-year sentence received by former tourism minister Elena Udrea in June this year.

Udrea stood trial for bribery and abuse of office in a case related to the illegal financing by the Tourism Ministry of a boxing gala in 2011, and was sentenced to six years in prison. However, she fled the country during the trial and was arrested in Costa Rica in October. Now, her lawyer is trying to obtain her release from the prison in Costa Rica based on ICCJ’s recent ruling, local News.ro reported.

Rudel Obreja, another defendant sentenced to prison in the same case as Elena Udrea, was released from prison as well, based on a ruling of the ICCJ. In fact, the Court has suspended the sentences of several high-profile detainees in recent days, after the Constitutional Court ruled that the high court’s judge panels were not formed legally, meaning that not all of the five judges in the panels were established through a drawing. This gave the defendants the chance to challenge the sentences.

The list of those who got their sentences suspended so far also includes Alina Bica, the former chief prosecutor of the anti-organized crime directorate DIICOT. She was sentenced to four years in prison in late June this year, but she also fled the country and was detained in Costa Rica in October, at the same time with Elena Udrea.

Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Facebook / Elena Udrea)