Romania’s integrity agency finds EUR 780,000 undeclared money in former Constanta mayor’s accounts

Romania’s National Integrity Agency (ANI) has found EUR 780,000 in a bank account in Israel that belonged to Constanta’s former mayor Radu Mazare. The money hadn’t been declared in Mazare’s wealth statements, according to ANI. ANI had also signaled a EUR 170,000 difference between Radu Mazare’s gained assets and his declared revenues, following a previous control, in June 2015. According to ANI, Radu Mazare now has to answer for almost EUR 1 million in unjustified differences between his assets and his declared revenues. When asked about the EUR 780,000 he had in Israel, Mazare said the money was part of a “financial deal” and didn’t have to be declared. “Three times they accused me of being anti-semitic, and each time they closed the case. Now they accuse me of having taken a bribe from Israeli constructors to build houses for the poor. Do you see how life is?” said Mazare, according to Digi 24 news station. Radu Mazare stepped down as mayor of Constanta in May this year, after he was arrested in a corruption case. The anticorruption prosecutors accused him of taking millions of euros in bribes to grant construction permits and public contracts to private companies. Famous Constanta mayor Radu Mazare, arrested on bribery charges Romanian anticorruption prosecutors seize Constanta Mayor’s property Constanta mayor resigns on “injustices, distress and anguish” editor@romania-insider.com