Media: Romanian deputy allegedly blackmails fellow MPs to keep his immunity

An MP accused local businessman and politician Sebastian Ghita of blackmailing his fellow MPs so that they would vote against the National Anticorruption Agency DNA’s request to detain and arrest him for several offenses. DNA wanted to arrest Ghita, who is also a member of the Chamber of Deputies. The prosecutors charged him with bribery, the use of classified information, blackmail, influence peddling, and driving a vehicle without a driver license. However, the deputies voted against DNA’s request last week. A deputy from the Social Democratic Party PSD told prosecutors that Sebastian Ghita had blackmailed his colleagues to keep his immunity against DNA’s request. According to this deputy, whose identity is protected, Ghita “personally contacted the MPs from all parties” in the day of the vote, asking them to vote against the request. In return, Ghita “promised them or let them understand that Romania TV’s door was open for them whenever they need it, considering that there are two campaigns coming up this year,” reports local Mediafax. Sebastian Ghita controls local news television Romania TV. “It went without saying that, in case a vote in favor was observed, the consequences would be disastrous for that person,” the MP added. The deputy also mentioned that the vote could have been observed, given that Valeriu Zgonea, the President of the Chamber of Deputies, allowed the filming of the voting procedure from the balcony. According to the deputy, this had never happened before and it meant that one of the cameras filming from the balcony could have belonged to RTV, or even to Sebastian Ghita. That way, the businessman could monitor each person's vote. Romanian MPs don’t want to be filmed while casting secret votes On Friday last week, prosecutors from DNA Ploiesti placed Ghita under judicial control on bail, for a period of 60 days. They’ve set a bail of EUR 13 million, or 10% of his fortune, which Ghita contested. Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com