The vice-president of lender BRD, Claudiu Cercel, has been released, but his investigation by the authorities into his part in the EUR 22 million banking fraud case which emerged last week will continue. The leaders of the fraud group were sent to prison, under preventive arrest. Daniel Ruse, the head of the group, was arrested, along with Stan Mihai, his brother Toma Mihai and former general Dragoş Diaconescu.

Aurel Şaramet, the former director of the National Fund to Guarantee Loans for Small and Medium Enterprises, will also be investigated without being arrested.

Claudiu Cercel, the VP of BRD, was taken into Police custody for 24 hours last week, but the court decided not to extend the arrest. The Bucharest court decided last weekend to arrest six of the 24 people for whom prosecutors had asked for prison time while the case is being investigated. In Calarasi county, ten other people were arrested over the weekend for 29 days.

In total, 45 people are being investigated for having illegally obtained banking financing for companies based on forged documents. The loans were backed by the state, which meant if those companies could not pay back the loans, the state would have covered the loss for the banks.

editor@romania-insider.com

(photo source: BRD)