Romanian central bank deputy governor resigns amid corruption scandal

Bogdan Olteanu resigned from the position of deputy governor of Romania’s National Bank BNR on Monday. His decision comes after his name appeared in a big corruption scandal in Romania. Anticorruption prosecutors accuse Olteanu of having received EUR 1 million from Romanian businessman Sorin Ovidiu Vintu to use his influence in the Government to appoint former journalist Liviu Mihaiu as governor of the Danube Delta in Romania, in 2008. He is now facing influence peddling charges, being placed under house arrest. Bogdan Olteanu was a member of BNR board since October 2009. Before that, he was a member of the Chamber of Deputies for the National Liberal Party (PNL) from 2004 until 2009. He was president of the Chamber of Deputies from March 2006 until December 2008. The Parliament will name a person to replace Olteanu when the MPs come back from the summer break. The National Liberal Party (PNL), which initially supported Olteanu for the deputy governor position, wants to do the nomination. However, the Social Democratic Party (PSD) holds the majority in the Parliament and may block the liberals' nomination. Anticorruption prosecutors arrested him last Thursday. What’s behind the corruption case of the moment in Romania: EUR 1 mln bribe for control over Danube Delta Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com