Romanian MP gets new charges of influence peddling, voters’ corruption

Romania’s anticorruption prosecutors brought new charges to the social-democrat MP Sebastian Ghita for influence peddling, tax evasion, money laundering, abetting the use of EU funds and corruption of voters in the 2012 parliamentary elections and 2014 presidential elections. The new charges add to the existing one, namely supporting an organized criminal group. According to prosecutors, Ghita paid EUR 350,000 so that the voters in the Republic of Moldova voted for the current Prime Minister Victor Ponta in the presidential elections in 2014, reports local Mediafax. Between 2000 and 2015, Ghita unlawfully obtained significant amounts of money by trading influence, which he introduced in a fictitious financial circuit, according to DNA prosecutors. Ghita is not allowed to talk to the Prime Minister. The prosecutors also banned him from his parliamentary activity. Ghita said the new allegations were part of a political file, aimed at bringing down the government. editor@romania-insider.com