Two of Romania's former Economy Ministers face prosecution

The Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) has asked the Romanian Senate and President Klaus Iohannis for the green light to prosecute former Economy Ministers Varujan Vosganian and Adriean Videanu. The prosecutors want to charge the two politicians for having established an organized criminal group, abuse of power and complicity in embezzlement in the Romgaz-Interagro file, reports local Mediafax. Varujan Vosganian was Minister of Economy during December 2006 - December 2008, while Adriean Videanu, followed, with a two-year mandate, until September 2010. The two former ministers allegedly supported the financial interests of the criminal group founded by businessman Ioan Niculae, owner of Interagro. They reportedly used the state-owned gas producer Romgaz SA for the private interest of Ioan Niculae’s company. Adrian Videanu is currently under arrest. The High Court of Cassation and Justice decided on his 30-day preventive arrest on Saturday, January 31. Videanu is investigated for complicity to abuse of office. The case is connected to the illegal land retrocession case in which the former chief prosecutor of the organized crime directorate DIICOT Alina Bica and businessman Dorin Cocos are also serving preventive arrest. More big names go behind bars in Romanian corruption cases. editor@romania-insider.com