Court of Appeal gives three years in prison to former Romanian MP

The Bucharest Court of Appeal has sentenced former Romanian MP Alin Trasculescu to three years in prison for corruption deeds. The decision is final. The Bucharest Court initially convicted him to seven years in prison for influence peddling, money laundering and forgery, but the Court of Appeal reduced the sentence. The judges have also decided to seize EUR 224,000 from Trasculescu. According to anti-corruption prosecutors, the defendant took a EUR 150,000 bribe from a local businessman. Trasculescu apparently threatened the businessman that he would talk to employees of the Development Ministry to block the financing of some of the projects that the investor had with the authorities. Trasculescu was also the president of the Vrancea Democrat Liberal Party and a friend of former development minister Elena Udrea. His corruption file reached the court in April 2013. editor@romania-insider.com