The judges of the High Court (ICCJ) on Monday acquitted Senate president Calin Popescu Tariceanu in a case in which he was tried for making false statements under oath (perjury), Hotnews.ro reported. ICCJ thus upheld the decision of the first instance of the same court last year, making it final.

The perjury probe concerned an illegal land restitution case, which caused financial damages of more than EUR 135 million to the Romanian state. The National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) prosecutors claimed Tariceanu, a former prime minister (2004-2008), did not disclose the truth about the case to Prince Paul of Romania.

The Romanian anti-corruption prosecutors asked for a three-year sentence for the Senate speaker.

In the last word before the judges, the Senate president described the whole process as a set-up. In turn, the DNA prosecutor has asked for a retrial. Accusation claimed that the first instance has not judged on the deeds alleged by DNA prosecutors.

editor@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Facebook / Calin Popescu Tariceanu)