Mircea Geoană’s Brother-in-Law, Ionuț Costea, to Be Handed Over to Romanian Authorities

The Ministry of Justice announced that on June 24, citizen Ionuț Mircea Costea is to be transferred to Romanian authorities. Costea is being brought to Romanian territory by Romanian Police officers and will be incarcerated in a facility under the authority of the National Administration of Penitentiaries.

Ionuț Costea, the former president of Eximbank and brother-in-law of Mircea Geoană, had been internationally wanted and was located by Gândul reporters in Istanbul, where even Interpol had failed to find him.

The Romanian Police stated that following an exchange of data and information between the SIRENE Bureau within the International Police Cooperation Center – I.G.P.R. and Turkish authorities, a 64-year-old man, internationally wanted for bribery, was located in Istanbul.

Cumnatul lui Mircea Geoană, Ionuț Costea, a fost predat autorităților române

Judicial sources confirmed to MEDIAFAX that the person is Ionuț Costea, former Eximbank director and Mircea Geoană’s brother-in-law. The Bucharest Tribunal had issued a warrant for the execution of a six-year prison sentence in his name.

The Ministry of Justice announced that on June 24, citizen Ionuț Mircea Costea is to be transferred to Romanian authorities. Costea is being brought to Romanian territory by Romanian Police officers and will be incarcerated in a facility under the authority of the National Administration of Penitentiaries.

Ionuț Costea, the former president of Eximbank and brother-in-law of Mircea Geoană, had been internationally wanted and was located by Gândul reporters in Istanbul, where even Interpol had failed to find him.

The Romanian Police stated that following an exchange of data and information between the SIRENE Bureau within the International Police Cooperation Center – I.G.P.R. and Turkish authorities, a 64-year-old man, internationally wanted for bribery, was located in Istanbul.

Judicial sources confirmed to MEDIAFAX that the person is Ionuț Costea, former Eximbank director and Mircea Geoană’s brother-in-law. The Bucharest Tribunal had issued a warrant for the execution of a six-year prison sentence in his name.

The General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police (IGPR) responded after Gândul published an investigation with details and images of the fugitive Ionuț Costea’s hiding place in Istanbul.

“In light of the information published in the media regarding the presence in Turkey of an internationally wanted individual convicted of bribery, the Public Information and Relations Center of the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police is authorized to state the following: The Romanian Police, through the International Police Cooperation Center, is in constant communication with external partners, using police cooperation channels to locate individuals wanted by law. In this case, the information held by Romanian police officers was shared with Turkish partners, but until now, the results had been negative. The verification process is ongoing, with the support of external partners, in order to locate the individual and execute the warrant”, IGPR representatives previously stated.