Romanian businessman Gruia Stoica, the owner of Grup Feroviar Român (GFR), was handcuffed and taken in to questioning on Wednesday evening (January 29) at the headquarters of the National Anticorruption Directorate DNA, after he refused to appear at the hearing.

He initially told the investigators he was not in Bucharest, but the authorities found him at home and took him in for questioning in a corruption case.  Prosecutors have asked for Stoica to be detained for 29 days.

According to prosecutors, he was allegedly involved in fixing a bid to favor his company against the state – owned CFR Marfa. 21 other people are questioned in this case, according to Mediafax newswire.

Romanian lawyer Doru Bostina is also investigated in this case, for allegedly receiving EUR 3 million from Gruia Stoica to find out the price offered by CFR Marfa in the bid to transport coal for the state - owned Complexul Energetic Oltenia, an estimated EUR 48 million contract. The lawyer was also questioned at the DNA headquarters on Wednesday evening, and prosecutors have asked him not to leave the country.

Stoica’s GFR was the winner in the privatization of state – owned freight railways company CFR Marfa in 2013, and had even signed the privatization contract, but the process was canceled. Stoica said the state had not met its obligations in the privatization procedures.

GFR was also among bidders for other freight railways companies in the region, including the one in Bulgaria, but was not successful in acquiring any of them.

editor@romania-insider.com