Corruption is one of Romania’s biggest problems, and local authorities seem to really tackle it. A large number of local politicians and business people are involved in some of the biggest corruption cases in Romania.

Some of these cases were closed, after years of trials and investigations, with important names now behind bars. Others are however still open, and in various stages of investigation.  Here's  a list of ten major cases still ongoing in Romania.

The Microsoft IT licenses case

The Microsoft IT licenses case is one of the largest cases of corruption in Romania at this time. It targets a big number of politicians and business people. The investigation focuses on the sale of Microsoft licenses and hardware to the Romanian state.

In September last year, nine former Romanian ministers were accused of having taken bribes, office abuse or influence trading in this case: Ecaterina Andronescu, Valerian Vreme, Mihailescu Petru Serban, Dan Nica, Ticau Adriana, Gabriel Sandu, Daniel Funeriu, Alexandru Athansaiu and Mihai Tanasescu.

On October 28, 2014, the National Anticorruption Directorate detained Romanian businessman Nicolae Dumitru for 24 hours. He was later placed under preventive arrest, which was changed with home arrest in January this year. Former minister Gabriel Sandu is also placed under home arrest in this case.

Former tourism minister Elena Udrea is also investigated in this case and was arrested for 30 days earlier this month. She managed however to convince the High Court to overrule the 30-day arrest warrant in her name and to place her under house arrest.

Udrea’s ex-husband Dorin Cocos and Piatra Neamt mayor Gheorghe Stefan are still arrested in this case.

According to DNA Chief Prosecutor Laura Kovesi, the suspected value of the bribe and influence peddling in this case is around EUR 60 million.

Illegal retrocessions – two cases currently ongoing:

• The illegal land retrocession case

This is another large case of corruption which is related to overvalued compensations granted by the National Authority for Property Restitution (ANRP). Several people are investigated in this case, including the former chief prosecutor of the organized crime directorate DIICOT Alina Bica, businessman Dorin Cocos and his son Alin Cocos and former Bucharest mayor Adrian Videanu. Dorin and Alin Cocos are serving preventive arrest while Videanu is under house arrest.

• The illegal forest retrocession case

Several Romanian politicians were sent to court in late-January in a case involving illegal forests retrocession, including former deputy Viorel Hrebenciuc and his son Andrei Hrebenciuc, deputy Ioan Adam and senator Tudor Chiuariu. Viorel Hrebenciuc is currently serving preventive arrest in this case. In late-December 2014, the court decided to replace the measure of preventive arrest with home arrest for Andrei Hrebenciuc.

Romanian Prime Minister’s father-in-law prosecuted in EUR 300 mln illegal forest restitution case.

The Bute boxing gala case

Former tourism minister Elena Udrea, former Romanian boxer and former president of the Romanian Boxing Federation Rudel Obreja and former economy minister Ion Ariton are investigated in a case related to the organization of a boxing match between former Romanian boxing champion Lucian Bute and Jean Paul Mendy in 2011.The match was organized by a private company owned by Obreja.

Elena Udrea was arrested for 30 days in this case and her lawyer recently announced that DNA prosecutors also seized part of her fortune. Rudel Obreja is also serving preventive arrest in this case, while Ion Ariton is placed under home arrest.

The case involving Prime Minister’s brother-in-law

Iulian Hertanu, the brother-in-law of Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta, was arrested for 30 days on February 18, on charges of embezzling European funds. Hertanu, together with several other suspects, allegedly defrauded EU funds worth some EUR 1.75 million. The money was supposed to be used for the revamping of the sewage system in Comarnic, a small town in the Prahova Valley.

The prosecutors held two other people in this case and also investigate the president of the Prahova county council, Mircea Cosma, his son, Vlad Cosma, who is a member of the Parliament, as well as businessman Sebastian Ghita. More about the case here.

The case involving former President Basescu’s brother

Mircea Basescu, the brother of former Romanian President Traian Basescu, was arrested in June last year for alleged influence trading. He received EUR 250,000 from Florin Anghel, through a middleman, in exchange for the promise to obtain a favorable sentence in a homicide case in which Sandu Anghel, Forin Anghel’s father, was prosecuted. Sandu Anghel, also known as Bercea Mondial, is a notorious local underworld leader.

Mircea Basescu spend more than five months under preventive arrest and is now serving house arrest.

Comment: The Romanian President’s brother and the gypsy underworld.

The ASF-Carpatica Asig case

This is one of the biggest corruption cases which made the headlines last year. The former president of Romania’s Financial Supervision Authority ASF was arrested in this case. In August last year, the court decided to move Rusanu into home arrest. Rusanu is believed to have created and approved an emergency ordinance to reorganize the ASF board, so as to protect the interest of Carpatica insurance firm.

Ilie Carabulea, the owner of Carpatica Asig via companies Atlassib and Transcar, was also arrested in this case. He was accused of trading influence and bribery together with two other people, Marian Mirzac and Radu Mustatea. Carabulea’s preventive arrest was also replaced with home arrest in December last year.

Laura Chitoiu, the wife of former Finance Minister Daniel Chitoiu, was also investigated in this case. 

The case involving former Brasov County Council president Aristotel Cancescu

Aristotel Cancescu, former president of Brasov County Council, was arrested last year for acts of corruption, including abuse of office, influence peddling and money laundering . He was placed under preventive arrest, a measure changed to home arrest in late February this year. The investigation looks into how the Brasov County Council has assigned contracts financed with public money to several private firms for prices up to ten times higher than their real value. The damage in this case amounts to over EUR 7 million.

The case involving former MP Mihai Boldea (the 'Kenya case')

Former Romanian MP Mihai Boldea, currently placed under preventive arrest, has been on trial since 2012 for setting up an organized criminal group and fraud.  Some 18 other people are investigated in this case, accused of complicity to fraud and forgery. Boldea allegedly set up an organized criminal group specialized in real estate, which produced a damage of some EUR 1 million. He was arrested in March 2012, right after he returned from Kenya, where he went to avoid being caught.

The EADS corruption case

A new large corruption case made the media headlines last year. It targeted former Romanian ministers involved in closing the deal with EADS to secure Romania’s borders. More about the case here. The name of Romanian businessman and former tennis player Ion Tiriac also appeared in this case, but he later denied any involvement.

Media: Former EADS Germany manager, indicted in a bribery case which started in Romania.

According to Romanian DNA Chief Prosecutor Laura Codruta Kovesi, the value of the Microsoft and EADS contracts reviewed by the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) in the cases covering the lease of Microsoft IT licenses exceeds EUR 1 billion.

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