Romanian Anticorruption Directorate seizes wine maker’s factories, land plots

Romania’s National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) has seized three factories for the production of alcoholic beverages and several land plots worth up to RON 500 million (EUR 110.7 million) in the Murfatlar case. The seized factories and land plots belong to the companies that are being prosecuted in this case, including Murfatlar Romania, Euroavipo, Bartenders Distilleries, and other six companies, reports local News.ro. In October 2016, the anti-fraud department within Romania’s tax agency ANAF discovered a damage of over RON 613 million (EUR 136.2 million) to the state budget in a complex fraud scheme involving several alcohol producers of the Euroavipo group. The companies allegedly had the help of eight ANAF managers in carrying out their illegal activities. Investigators said that the criminal activity was conducted with the support of civil servants from the tax and customs authorities. The anti-fraud department notified the anticorruption directorate (DNA) on this case dubbed “Murfatlar”, as the Murfatlar wine maker was the best-known company of the Euroavipo group. editor@romania-insider.com