Group of former managers of Romania's Electrica Banat sent to jail, general manager acquitted

The Supreme Court recently found former directors of Romania's Electrica Banat guilty for corruption and abuse of their power against the public interest, and sentenced them to three to eight years in prison. The court also decided to acquit the former general manager of Electrica SA, Lucian Silviu Boghiu. The court decision is final. A group of 17 people, former directors of Electrica Banat, were found guilty of various crimes, including abuse of their power against the public interest, taking bribes, tax evasion, and trading influence, all done before Electrica Banat's privatization. The case was started in 2005 by the prosecutors of the Anti-corruption Body DNA Timisoara. Several people were arrested back then, including the general manager Silviu Lucian Boghiu, who was acquitted earlier this week. He had been charged with instigating abuse of the public interest, money laundry, bribe, and forgery. Prosecutors had said Boghiu had received an Audi car as a bribe, but the Supreme court ruled against his imprisonment. Electricity carrier Electrica Banat was privatized in 2005, when Enel took over the majority shares from the Romanian state. editor@romania-insider.com