FC Steaua owner Becali and former Romanian Defense Ministry reps, indicted in land exchange case

Romanian former Defense Ministry state secretary Dumitru Cioflina, former Defense Minister Victor Babiuc, the latter’s daughter, Ioana Babiuc, and football club Steaua owner George Becali (in picture) were indicted in a case regarding an exchange of land between the ministry and the businessman. The case was sent to the High Court of Justice, which has set the first trial date for January 18, 2011. Cioflina, also a former head of General Staff, is accused of abuse of office and Babiuc, defense minister between 1997 and 2000, is charged with abuse of office and taking bribe. Babiuc's daughter is accused of accesory to bribe taking and Becali faces accusations of accessory to abuse of office. According to the bill of indictment, between 1996 and 1999, the Defense Ministry, which managed the state's public domain in Voluntari, near capital Bucharest, exchanged some land plots - 28.8 hectares with Gigi Becali. The value of the land was of around USD 890,000. Cioflina and Babiuc approved the land exchange between the ministry and Becali and breached legislation regulating public property and land transfers. The two former ministry officials intervened to hasten the land exchange, even if the plot of land offered by Becali in Stefanestii de Jos was of no use to the ministry. Cioflina and Babiuc included in the 1997-2000 state defense program the construction of a military point in Stefanestii de Jos to justify the land exchange. Mediafax