The president of Romania's Financial Surveillance Authority ASF, Dan Radu Rusanu, was taken into custody for 24 hours on Tuesday (February 25) by the Police for having allegedly favored criminals and influences statements in the Carpatica insurance firm case. Prosecutors have asked for Rusanu to be arrested for 30 days.

Rusanu is believed to have created and approved an emergency ordinance to reorganize the ASF board, so as to protect the interest of Carpatica insurance firm. Prosecutors say Rusanu in fact altered the law so as to eliminate certain members of the ASF board who were known to be against Carpatica Asig. The changes were disguised under extra requests for studies, which the members later on eliminated from the board did not comply with.

Earlier this year, Ilie Carabule, the owner of Carpatica Asig insurance firm, and Marian Mirzac, a former GM of the insurance firm, were arrested. Mirzac was at the time serving in the ASF board, but later resigned.

A third person, Radu Mustatea, a member of the Carpatica Asig board, was also involved in this case.

The three were part of a case which involves bribery and trading influence, and which also involves the wife of former Finance Minister Daniel Chitoiu.

Meanwhile, minister Chitoiu resigned, and the anti-corruption prosecutors are also asking for his arrest in this case. His wife Laura Chitoiu used to work at ASF, but after the scandal broke, she resigned. She is believed to have favored a candidate for the helm of Carpatica Asig.

Carabulea, who owns the bank Banca Carpatica, as well as insurance company Carpatica Asigurari, the latter via companies Atlassib and Transcar, is accused of trading influence and bribery.

Radu Rusanu has made headlines recently, after the ASF placed under special administration Romania's largest insurance company Astra Asigurari, and after the media publicized his high salary, together with the salaries of other ASF board members.

Political and business commentators say the recent arrest and connecting Rusanu to this investigation is in fact a high - level payback for having placed Astra Asigurari under special administration.

editor@romania-insider.com