Romanian MP in custody and facing a five-year jail term for corruption and money laundring

The local police have taken Romanian MP Virgil Pop into custody. He will serve jail time for corruption and be the first acting MP sent to jail while in public office. Pop, a former Cluj country counselor, suspended himself from the National Liberal Party (PNL). The Police took him into custody on Tuesday (March 27 ) from his apartment at the Radisson Blu hotel in Bucharest, which hosts Romanians MPs from outside Bucharest. Pop was sent to the Rahova prison in Bucharest, but will later be transferred to the Gherla prison in his home county Cluj.

The MP lost his appeal against the court decision ruling jail time in his case, for trading influence, money laundring and forgery in direct connection to a corruption case. Pop asked for EUR 80,000 and received RON 130,000 and EUR 30,000 from an informant, while he was a local counselor. When he became an MP in 2008 he avoided arrest due to Parliamentary immunity. After serving the five years in jail, Pop will not be allowed to run for public office for two years. editor@romania-insider.com