Romania's National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) has asked the general prosecutor to notify president Klaus Iohannis for approving the criminal investigation against former prime minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu, Hotnews.ro reported.

A similar request sent to the Parliament in 2018 - when Tariceanu was serving as a senator - was rejected.

The prosecutors have higher chances of continuing their investigation after Tariceanu failed to get a new mandate.

The former prime minister is suspected that he received material benefits worth USD 800,000 from representatives of an Austrian company in 2007-2008, during his mandate. In exchange, Tariceanu allegedly passed some decisions in favor of the company.

According to some judicial sources, the Austrian company is Fujitsu Siemens Computers. In 2014, Fujitsu Siemens GmbH Austria filed a complaint regarding the crimes committed by Romanian employees in connection with the conclusion and performance of the 2004 Microsoft licensing agreement with the Romanian Government.

Fujitsu Siemens Computers has been involved in other criminal cases involving the rental of Microsoft licenses.

Answering a similar request of DNA, on June 3, 2019, the Senate rejected the prosecutors' request to start the criminal investigation against Tariceanu.

Subsequently, criminal proceedings were carried out against the facts and other persons, including a businessman sent to court.

"As a result of the administration of additional evidence, elements of novelty have emerged that have outlined the above-mentioned state of affairs with reference to the former dignitary," reads the new request filed by DNA.

(Photo: Calin Popescu Tariceanu on Facebook)

andrei@romania-insider.com