DNA archived the file “Façade” in which Olguţa Vasilescu was prosecuted for corruption – Essential

The National Anticorruption Directorate ordered the presentation of the file known as “Façade” in which the mayor of Craiova, Lia Olguţa Vasilescu, was prosecuted, because she would have asked several businessmen, who had contracts with the mayor’s office, to sponsor an association. non-profit organization for the rehabilitation of the facades of the housing blocks in the center of Craiova, but also because it would have used its influence to obtain sums of money for the 2012 electoral campaign, reports Agerpres.

According to the DNA classification order issued to the parties, Vasilescu was investigated for using influence to obtain money, goods or other improper benefits, accepting bribes and money laundering, and the Prosecutor’s Office ordered the qualification of the criminal case, stating that there is no evidence. so it can be established that this “would have conditioned the development in good conditions of the contracts by the Craiova City Council due to the effectiveness of the sponsorships”.

Likewise, former PSD senator Radu Preda, former Craiova municipal administrator at the time of the events, who was accused of complicity in bribery and instigation to commit the crime of money laundering was, in turn, withdrawn from criminal prosecution.

DNA also ordered the lifting of the precautionary measures instituted in the case by the ordinance of June 7, 2016, respectively the lifting of the seizure of the real estate owned by Radu Preda and Elena Popescu, president of the Pro Craiova Association, the association without profit through which the sponsorships were made. as well as the lifting of the seizures on the amounts of money held by Preda, Popescu and Vasilescu in the banking units of Romania.

DNA also ordered the removal of the criminal proceedings for bribery and money laundering of the businessmen Marian Petcu from Recon SA, Mihail Tănăsescu and Tiberiu Urdăreanu from UTI Grup SA, Marian Mândrilă from SC Mari Vila Com SRL, and Liviu Cioană from Mitliv Exim SRL, all acting as complaining witnesses. The investigators considered that their acts “were committed under the rule of moral duress (endangering the fulfillment of the contracts between the companies and the city of Craiova), which is cause for imputability.”

The Bucharest Court decided on December 15, 2016 to send, for the second time to DNA, the case in which the Mayor of Craiova, Lia Olguţa Vasilescu, was accused of corruption, a decision confirmed by the Bucharest Court of Appeal. Initially, on October 7, a judge in the preliminary chamber of the Bucharest Court determined that the indictment prepared by DNA in this case contained irregularities. The magistrate declared invalid several evidence collected by the investigators, namely, the statements made by three witnesses before the judicial police, for not having a delegation from the Prosecutor’s Office of the case to carry out the acts of criminal prosecution, as well as a Statement made by the complainant Ionuţ Pârvulescu. At the same time, the judges established that Olguţa Vasilescu’s right to defense was violated.

Lia Olguţa Vasilescu had been sued on July 19, 2016, charged with bribery (four crimes), use of authority or influence to obtain money, property or other improper benefits (two crimes) and money laundering (two crimes). In the same case, Radu Cosmin Preda, former Craiova public administrator, for complicity in bribery (two crimes) and incitement to money laundering, and Elena Daniela Popescu, then president of the Pro Craiova Association, were referred to justice for complicity. bribery and money laundering.