Romanian Judge Arrested For Corruption

Alba Iulia Court of Appeals spokesperson Cosmin Muntean said the magistrates approved the DNA's request to put Judge Valentin Popescu under preventive arrest for 29 days, on charges of corruption.

Popescu's attorney announced the decision would be challenged before the High Court of Justice.

Anticorruption prosecutors said in a press release Popescu is charged with influence peddling and bribe taking. Specifically, between February 16 and July 14, 2007, Popescu allegedly attempted to acquire, through an intermediary, an apartment which was the subject of a case pending hearing in the Court of Petrosani. The case had been assigned to Popescu himself, thus prohibiting him from purchasing the apartment.

According to the DNA, between February 6 and 10, 2010, Popescu intervened with the Deva County Forensic Medicine Service so that the result of a blood test to determine alcohol-content in a person suspected of drunk-driving would turn up negative. The person in question was the son of the intermediary used by Popescu in 2007 to acquire the apartment.

Between February and March, 2010, the judge allegedly received material and non-material advantages from two people, in exchange for ruling in their favor in certain civil suits.

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