A high profile corruption case involving a Romanian senator, a a high court judge and two businessmen opens at the High Court of Justice in Bucharest on Wednesday, according to Romanian news agency Agerpres. The case involves charges of traffic of influence, corruption and accounting felonies against a number of prominent Romanian personalities, linked together by Senator Catalin Voicu - a former presidential aide, member of the military and an ex-MP.
The case includes judge Florin Costiniu of the High Court of Justice and businessmen Costel Casuneanu and Marius Locic.
According to the prosecutors' file, Senator Voicu claimed money from businessman Costel Casuneanu repeatedly throughout 2009. Of a claimed total of 260,000 euro, he received 200,000 euro. In exchange he offered a promise to intervene with judges of the High Court of Justice dealing with a case involving one of Casuneanu's companies, so that the company gets a favorable verdict.
The file also reads that in July-November 2009, in exchange of gains covering the 200,000 euro that Voicu claimed and received from Casuneanu, High Court judge Florin Costiniu supported the Senator in his interventions with court judges.
In August-October 2009, Catalin Voicu also claimed and received 119,000 lei from businessman Marius Locic, promising in exchange he would intervene with top staff at the Police HQ in Bucharest so that they fail to issue an arrest warrant on his name under embezzlement charges.
Catalin Voicu is also accused of repeatedly accepting promises from Marius Locic to have electoral articles published for free in a newspaper owned by Locic. A high profile corruption case involving a Romanian senator, a a high court judge and two businessmen opens at the High Court of Justice in Bucharest on Wednesday, according to Romanian news agency Agerpres. The c
