Romanian senator Ilie Sarbu, Prime Minister Victor Ponta’s father-in-law, is currently investigated by anticorruption prosecutors for influence trading in illegal forest restitutions, the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) announced on Wednesday.

Deputies Ioan Adam and Viorel Hrebenciuc have also been prosecuted in this case, together with Adam Craciunescu, the general manager of Romania’s forest administration company Romsilva. They are investigated for setting up an organized crime group which coordinated the illegal restitution of forests.

Prosecutors at the National Anticorruption Directorate currently investigate the illegal restitution of some 43,000 hectares of forests in Bacau county, which generated an estimated damage of more than EUR 300 million to state-owned Romsilva.

Ilie Sarbu and Viorel Hrebenciuc, two influential leaders of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), were questioned in this case yesterday, while Adam Craciunescu, Romsilva’s general manager, was placed under judicial control.

Prince Paul of Romania and princess Lia were also questioned about 30,000 hectares of forest land they had asked for as rightful heirs of Romania’s Royal House, according to Mediafax.

editor@romania-insider.com