Romania’s High Court sentenced famous Romanian football agent Ioan Becali to seven years and four months in jail and his brother Victor Becali to five years and eight months in prison for bribing a judge in a high-profile case related to illegal player transfers.

The judge they bribed, Geanina Terceanu, was also sentenced to seven years in prison, local News.ro reported. Local businessman Cristian Borcea, the former executive president of the Dinamo Bucharest football club, was acquitted in this case.

The court’s decision is final and the Becali brothers as well as the former judge were incarcerated on Tuesday, February 20.

Ioan and Victor Becali were found guilty of paying almost EUR 200,000 to judge Geanina Terceanu so that she would acquit them of tax evasion and money laundering charges in a case related to the illegal transfers of several Romanian players. Eight former football club owners, managers and player agents were sent to court in this case, in 2009. The case was assigned to judge Geanina Terceanu, who acquitted all eight defendants in 2012. However, her sentence was overruled by the Bucharest Court of Appeal, which sentenced the eight men to jail.

The High Court asked for a retrial and the Bucharest Court of Appeal ruled new convictions in this case in March 2014. Cristian Borcea and Ioan Becali got the harshest sentences, namely six years and four months in jail. They served only parts of their convictions.

editor@romania-insider.com