Prosecutors of the Romanian Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) seized the assets of local businessman Cristian Burci, the owner of a media group including Prima TV and Adevarul daily, G4media.ro reported.

Burci has been under investigation since 2016. He is being prosecuted for allegedly having siphoned EUR 8 million out of Romvag Caracal, a company he indirectly took over from the Romanian state in 2004.

"DIICOT initiated the criminal investigation against 11 people for committing crimes of forming an organized criminal group, money laundering, abuse of office, forgery of documents under private signature, use of forgery, tax evasion, embezzlement, and fraudulent management," DIICOT stated.

Burci was arrested in 2016 in relation to this case. The DIICOT central office now took over the case from the Olt regional office.

Burci is considered a supporter of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), but he maintains relations with other parties as well. He was one of the most influential businessmen close to former prime minister Viorica Dăncilă.

(Photo: Carol Robert/ Dreamstime)

editor@romania-insider.com