Romanian businessman Nicolae Dumitru, who was arrested on Monday night buy the prosecutors of the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) on charges of influence peddling and money laundering, in the case of overprices Microsoft licenses purchases, controls one of the largest group of companies in Bucharest, the Niro Group.

He is also one of Romania’s top 100 richest people, according to this year’s edition of the Forbes 500 Billionaires, recently published by Forbes Romania.

Nicolae Dumitru, 50, has a personal fortune estimated at some EUR 60 million, according to Forbes. His group consists of about 20 companies in various sectors, such as real estate, food industry, constructions, hotels, security services, and restaurants. According to the group’s website, Niro has an annual turnover of EUR 180 million and the value of its assets exceeds EUR 680 million.

Dumitru owns the Dragonul Rosu shopping area in the Eastern part of Bucharest, the Niro Tower office building, and the Grand Hotel du Boulevard, on Bucharest’s Calea Victoriei. He also owns several restaurants in Bucharest’s Old Town, including Crama Domneasca and Vecchio 1812.

Dragonul Rosu is one of the largest shopping areas in Romania, with over 5,500 shops, which sell mostly Chinese merchandise. Small retailers from all over the country come here to supply their boutiques. Niro Group also plans to build a Romanian Chinatown next to Dragonul Rosu complex, over a surface of 30 hectares.

Nicolae Dumitru was arrested on charges of influence peddling and money laundering. He allegedly received USD 7.65 million, in 2004, to convince ministers Serban Mihailescu and Dan Nica to grant Fujitsu Siemens Computers Romania the contract to supply overpriced Microsoft IT licenses to state institutions.

editor@romania-insider.com