Former Romanian tourism minister Elena Udrea, currently a member of the Parliament, managed to convince the High Court to overrule the 30-day arrest warrant in her name and to place her under house arrest.

On Monday, February 10, the prosecutors of the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) decided to hold Elena Udrea in the Microsoft IT licenses case. Their decision came one day after the Chamber of Deputies approved DNA’s request to indict and arrest Udrea in this case. The prosecutors charged Udrea on three counts of influence peddling related to this complex corruption file in which Udrea’s former husband was also arrested in October 2014.

On Wednesday, February 12, the High Court approved the prosecutors’ request to arrest Udrea for 30 days. The same court changed the initial decision and placed her under house arrest on Monday, February 17.

Udrea, who spent almost 7 days in jail, was released on Monday evening. She said she would probably appear before the Parliament on Wednesday, as her colleagues have to decide if they approve another DNA request to arrest her in a case related to the illegal financing of a boxing gala.

Arrest upgrade: Former Romanian minister wants to pay for her cell renovation

editor@romania-insider.com