Finance Ministry employees, lawyers and prosecutor among suspects in EUR 50 mln tax evasion case in Romania

Prosecutors of the National Anticorruption Agency DNA have recently conducted several searches in Bucharest and Prahova, Giurgiu, Arad, Calarasi and Ialomita counties in Romania. The investigation eyed the activity of 100 Romanian and foreign companies who allegedly prejudiced the state with EUR 50 million. Some 50 people were prosecuted in this case, including employees of the Ministry of Finance, lawyers, accountants and administrators of companies. On Monday evening, Nicolae Angela Eugenia, prosecutor within the High Court of Justice Prosecutor’s Office, and her son Nicolae Daniel, were arrested for 24 hours in the EUR 50 million tax evasion case, being accused of influence peddling and complicity in this crime. In the same file, the DNA prosecutors started criminal investigations on Social Democratic Party senator Niculae Badalau, who is also accused of influence peddling. Badalau allegedly defended the interests of one of the companies suspected of tax evasion, through interventions at the National Agency for Tax Administration ANAF’s management and other people with positions in state institutions in Giurgiu county. The PSD senator stated he is innocent, but if proven otherwise, he will answer to the law. Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com