Romanian prosecutors arrested on Tuesday, March 3, Ploiesti town mayor Iulian Badescu for 24 hours, for taking bribes and abuse of office. Badescu is investigated in a case related to how the City Council financed Petrolul Ploiesti football team.

On Tuesday evening, the mayor was taken to a hospital as he did not feel well shortly after being arrested. He was diagnosed with high blood pressure and high blood sugar, reports local Mediafax.

The mayor of Ploiesti signed in January 2013 a cooperation agreement between the city of Ploiesti and the Lupii Galbeni 2012 Community Association,  according to a statement of the Romanian National Anticorruption Department DNA.  Later in June, he signed the regulation on the agreement’s implementation, without preventive financial control, and ordered the payment of RON 8 million (some EUR 1.8 million) to the association, although he knew it was not legal.

He also asked for EUR 300,000 from a representative of the Association. In return, he made sure the contract would be carried out and the payments will be made to the Association. The EUR 300,000 represented a fee of 10% of the total amounts the City Hall was to give to players from Petrolul Ploiesti football team, whose interests were represented by the Association.

Two other people are investigated in this case. The prosecutors are due to take Iulian Badescu to the Ploiesti Court and ask for his 30-day preventive arrest on March 4.

Romanian mayor held for 24h for corruption, abuse of office

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com