Gheorghe Ştefan, the former mayor of Piatra Neamţ -- a large city in northeastern Romania, received a 45-month jail sentence from the Bucharest Court on July 22  for influence peddling in the "Stamp Factory" case involving frauds at state-owned postal service operator Posta Romana, Agerpres reported.

The sentence is not final, however.

The Court noted that Gheorghe Stefan returned the amount of EUR 226,967 received as bribe. Also, the Court lifted the seizure on the former mayor's assets, dismissing as not grounded the action filed by Posta Romana.

According to the investigators, in July-August 2009, Gheorghe Ştefan, mayor of Piatra Neamţ and deputy chairman of the Liberal Democrat Party (PDL), proposed to businessman Marian Constantin of that, in exchange for some money, he would use his influence with the representatives of Posta Romana so that the Stamp Factory (controlled by Posta Romana) would buy paper from companies controlled by the businessman.

(Photo: Pixabay)

editor@romania-insider.com