Romanian anticorruption prosecutors held former economy minister Adriean Videanu for complicity to abuse of authority.

Videanu allegedly asked the former chief prosecutor of the organised crime directorate DIICOT, Alina Bica, to lift the seizure of the shares he held in marble producer Titan Mar. Bica apparently helped Videanu by lifting the distraint, which allowed him to sell the shares for some EUR 62,000, according to judicial sources quoted by Mediafax newswire.

The DIICOT prosecutors seized Videanu’s Titan Mar shares in October 2013 after they started investigating him for conspiracy and undermining the economy. Bica’s decision to lift the seizure was abusive, according to DNA’s prosecutors.

Alina Bica was arrested in November 2014 in a case of corruption related to overpriced property compensations paid by the National Authority for Property Restitution (ANRP). Bica was a member of ANRP before she was named chief prosecutor of DIICOT.

Adriean Videanu went in for questioning at the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) on Thursday afternoon, and came out later in the evening with handcuffs on his wrists. The prosecutors have asked for his arrest, but the court will only judge this request on Friday, so Videanu will spend the night in police custody.

Videanu was one of the most influential leaders of the Democratic Liberal Party (PDL) during the period when PDL held the power. Videanu was former President Traian Basescu’s successor as Bucharest’s mayor from April 2005 until June 2008. After that he took on as economy minister, in December 2008, a position he held until September 2012.

He became famous for changing the curbstones in Bucharest almost every year. His company, Titan Mar, used to produce curbstones.

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editor@romania-insider.com