The Bucharest Court sentenced former Romanian senator Catalin Voicu to five years in prison for complicity to abuse of office.

However, the sentence was merged with a 7-year conviction that Voicu received in 2012 for corruption. The former senator spent some three years in jail and was released on parole in February 2016. Thus, he may not return to jail despite the new sentence.

The Bucharest Court’s decision is not final and can be challenged at the Bucharest Court of Appeal, reports local Agerpres.

The National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) sent Catalin Voicu to court in November 2014 on charges of complicity to abuse of office in a case related to overpriced purchases made by the state-owned electricity distributor Electrica and some of its subsidiaries in 2004-2005. Voicu was a presidential advisor at that time. He was accused of using his political influence to determine Electrica's management to purchase overpriced products and services from a private company without a public tender. Electrica and its subsidiaries concluded 77 contracts worth over RON 14 million with that company.

Two directors of the state-owned company were also sent to court in this case. The court decided that the defendants should pay RON 5.28 million worth of damages.

editor@romania-insider.com