Former president of Romania’s National Health Insurance House charged for EUR 8.6 mln bribes
The former president of Romania’s National Health Insurance House – CNAS, Lucian Duta, has been charged with bribery and placed under judicial control on bail, the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) announced on Tuesday, April 4. The prosecutors asked for a RON 4.5 million (EUR 1 million) bail. If he doesn’t cover the bail, Duta can be placed under house arrest or take into police custody.
Lucian Duta is being prosecuted for multiple bribery charges. According to the prosecutors, he repeatedly received bribes from two software companies to help them get contracts with the National Health Insurance House between 2010 and 2012.
Duta allegedly took EUR 7.4 million to support the two software firms in getting the contracts for designing, creating and operating a single integrated health insurance system in Romania. He also allegedly asked and received EUR 200,000 for a contract related to the software for the national health card and EUR 1 million for the contract on implementing electronic prescriptions, according to the prosecutors.
The two software providers apparently paid Duta in cash or wired the money to a company he controlled closing fictitious service contracts to justify the payments. The respective company paid for plane tickets and accommodation for trips that Duta took in the country and abroad. The company also bought a land plot in an exclusive residential area in Bucharest, DNA has reported.
Lucian Duta was president of the National Health Insurance House from December 2009 until May 2012, when he resigned due to disagreements with the new PM Victor Ponta.
CNAS manages the health insurance contributions paid by all Romanians. This year, for example, CNAS has a budget of over EUR 6 billion.
The institution has spent tens of millions of euros in the last ten years on software. Some of the software systems acquired, such as the software for the national health card, have had many failures in recent years.
Romania to roll out e-prescription in June and national health card in August
Nine Romanian ministries pay EUR 24 mln for software left unused
editor@romania-insider.com
