Former Romanian Transport Minister, now jailed, sues party over money lent during electoral campaign

The group of companies owned by former transport Minister Relu Fenechiu, who now serves time for corruption, has sued the National Liberal Party, his former party, to recover a EUR 1 million debt from the electoral campaign, according to Mediafax newswire. Fenechiu, who has been jailed at the Iasi Penitentiary in the beginning of 2014, was a member of the PNL for 18 years. He also served as president of PNL in Iasi county since 2004, and since 2008, vice-president of the party. He was removed from the party after his conviction. The group of companies owned by Fenechiu and his brother supported financially former liberal leader Crin Antonescu for the electoral campaign in 2009, and never recovered the money, some EUR 950,000. The money was spent to create and distribute electoral materials for Antonescu in Iasi county. Back in 2009, Antonescu run for presidency, but lost to incumbent Traian Basescu. The PNL was supposed to pay back the loan in installments, but it never respected the agreement. Fenechiu himself tried to sue PNL for this debt in November 2011, but the court rejected the case. Fenechiu’s group of companies, ENGEKO, includes several companies working in constructions, IT&C, security, and consultancy. Former Romanian Transport Minister Fenechiu gets final conviction: five years in jail without parole editor@romania-insider.com