Former Bucharest district mayor indicted for corruption

Former Bucharest District 1 mayor Dan Tudorache, an influential member of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), was indicted by prosecutors of the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) for complicity to influence peddling and money laundering.

The court set a EUR 1 million bail for Tudorache, Economica.net reported. Two other people, including Tudorache's former wife, were also indicted in this case.

The third person, presented as "a person in Tudorache's entourage," was directly involved in the illegal activities. More precisely, this person negotiated a bribe worth 10% of the contracts awarded by the municipality with the companies that won those contracts. In exchange for the money, he promised to intervene to the public clerks in charge of those contracts to make sure they went on smoothly.

However, the prosecutors believe that Tudorache was the one pulling strings, and the other person was the middleman.

During his time in public office (2008-2018), defendant Tudorache allegedly earned disproportionately large sums of money compared to his lawful income, the prosecutors say.

According to the DNA, Tudorache allegedly used his former wife and the housekeeper to cash in the money. The money was spent on trips abroad, jewelry, luxury clothing both from the country and abroad, cars, real estate, private schools, while part of it went on loans to other people or in bank deposits.

Tudorache is the head of the PSD organization in Bucharest's District 1. He served as a deputy in Parliament before being elected mayor. He officially has no properties.

(Photo: Dan Tudorache Facebook Page)