Romanian Football Club Owner, Referees Detained For Alleged Bribery

Romanian Arges football club owner, Cornel Penescu, alongside other referees were detained Monday for 24 hours for alleged bribery, sources close to the matter said Monday.

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According to the prosecutors of the local anticorruption department in Arges, southern Romania, Penescu allegedly offered some EUR125,000 to referees as bribe to make sure his team wins several games.

Prosecutors also detained the head of the Central Commission of Referees, Gheorghe Constantin, alongside referees Marcel Savaniu, Aurel Bogaciu and Tiberiu Lajos.

The same sources said prosecutors launched an investigation in this case in 2008, which targets bribery crimes involving football games, namely EUR3000, EUR10,000 and EUR15,000 allegedly offered to referees as bribe for the games between FC Arges and FC Brasov, Gloria Bistrita and Universitatea Craiova.

According to sources, Penescu allegedly offered bribe to referees by means of various people to favor FC Arges in the games against the aforementioned teams. According to investigators, Penescu allegedly offered a total EUR54,000 and 292,000 lei (EUR1=RON4.1263) as bribe, the same sources said.

Prosecutors in Arges County searched Monday morning both Penescu’s home and the club headquarters.

Prosecutors also went Monday to the headquarters of the Romanian Football Federation (FRF) to get several documents related to the file drafted by the anticorruption department in Arges.

The federation’s press officer, Paul Zaharia, confirmed Monday the prosecutors’ search operations.

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