Mircea Basescu, Romanian President Traian Basescu’s brother, will spend the next 30 days in arrest, the Bucharest court decided on Friday, June 20. His lawyer appealed against the decision, which came after Basescu already spent 24 hours in arrest.

Mircea Basescu is being investigated by the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) in a criminal case for alleged influence trading. The prosecutors’ investigation is based on evidence that the President’s brother received EUR 250,000 from the son of a Romanian underworld leader to intervene in a justice case in order to get him a lighter conviction.

Mircea Basescu was held on Thursday, June 19, after he was questioned by the DNA prosecutors. Another man, Marian Capatana, who allegedly intermediated the incriminated “transaction” was also held and will stay 30 days in the Bucharest Police arrest.

President Traian Basescu said on Thursday, before his brother was held, that he won’t interfere with the justice process, in spite of “natural instinct” to help his brother.

editor@romania-insider.com