Romanian Court Puts Off Corruption Trial Of Ex PM For March 24

The High Court of Justice, which is trying the case, adjourned the trial for March 24.

 

Exiting the courtroom, Nastase said 972 will have to be heard in the case.

 

"This means at least 90 court sessions, that is, if we count vacations, at least nine years for witness hearings alone. I’m not even counting the rest of the procedures,” Nastase said.

 

On January 20, anticorruption prosecutors indicted Nastase on charges of influence-peddling while leading the country’s leftist Social Democratic Party, or PSD.

 

Nastase, alongside five other people indicted in the “Construction Quality Trophy”, will be tried before the High Court of Justice.

Prosecutors accused Nastase of using his authority as head of the social democrats to obtain illegal assets and money.

 

In 2004, the Romanian State Inspectorate in Constructions (ISC), run by defendant Irina Jianu, initiated a symposium called “Construction Quality Trophy”. The symposium was in fact a screen to gather funds for Nastase’s presidential campaign, prosecutors said.

 

According to prosecutors, Nastase and the other five defendants in the case allegedly caused total damages to the Constructions Inspectorate worth 6.961.155,2132 lei (EUR1=RON4.3127).

 

The Constructions Inspectorate is civilian party in the case.

 

Last year, the Romanian Parliament rejected a request from prosecutors to investigate corruption allegations against Nastase. Early February, lawmakers again rejected the start of criminal proceedings in a corruption case against Nastase.

 

Chamber of Deputies speaker Roberta Anastase said early this week the Chamber standing office will postpone a decision on the approval of criminal proceedings against Nastase, to give the Chamber time to amend regulations and allow prosecution of former ministers with the votes of a simple majority, instead of the currently required two third majority.