Bucharest Chamber of Commerce management prosecuted for EU funds fraud

Prosecutors from the National Anticorruption Department (DNA) started on May 18 a criminal investigation against Petre Sorin Dimitriu, the president of the Bucharest Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIB). Dimitriu is accused of using false, inaccurate or incomplete documents and statements to obtain EU funds unfairly, and illegally changing the funds’ destination. Nicolae Vasile – CCIB vice-president, Laurentia Vasilescu – CCIB economic director, and Dan Gabriel Mihut - general manager within CCIB were also prosecuted in this case. In 2009, the CCIB president allegedly certified that the institution met all EU requirements to get non-refundable funds for three projects, although it wasn’t true. “In reality, the Bucharest Chamber of Commerce and Industry was in a situation of exclusion as it had total outstanding obligations (debts) of RON 682,811, representing intellectual property rights, payments from businesses for people with disabilities, civil convention tax, etc.,” reads the DNA statement. CCIB managed to get a grant of RON 11.63 million (some EUR 2.59 million). In the same period, the CCIB president, with the help of Laurentia Vasilescu and Dan Mihut, changed the destination of some RON 289,000 (EUR 64,500). The money ended up being used for the institution’s activity, not to finance the projects it was granted for. In August 2009, following the same pattern, CCIB vice-president Nicolae Vasile wrongfully obtained EU funds of RON 6.91 million some EUR 1.5 million) to implement another project. The Bucharest Chamber of Commerce has thus obtained total EU funds of over RON 18.5 million (EUR 4.1 million). This is not the first time when the CCIB management has problems with the law. In October 2014, Petre Sorin Dimitriu, Dan Gabriel Mihut, and Laurentia Vasilescu were sent to court on similar charges. Cluj Chamber of Commerce president, five other Romanians investigated for EU funds fraud Former head of Romania's Chamber of Commerce to spend five years in jail Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com