Romania's DNA prosecutors indict former MP, fugitive businessman Sebastian Ghita

A new case against former MP Sebastian Ghita, who fled to Serbia in 2016, was sent to court in absentia, prosecutors of the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) confirmed in a press release on October 19.

DNA prosecutors allege that Ghita, through some of its firms such as Asesoft and Teamnet, received "protection tax" from IT firms seeking to get public contracts or seeking to be paid timely under existing contracts with the state. The case mentions important Romanian IT firms such as UTI Grup, Siveco, Romsys, G4media.ro reported.

At this moment, the former Social Democrat deputy is being tried in a single case. He is on trial alongside the former Social Democrat mayor of Ploieşti, Iulian Bădescu, whom Ghita allegedly bribed in order to get non-refundable financing of EUR 1.5 mln in favour of his basketball team Asesoft Ploieşti.

DNA investigates Ghita in two other cases.

At the end of 2016, when his MP mandate and, implicitly, parliamentary immunity expired, Sebastian Ghita fled the country, directly from a reception organised by the intelligence services (SRI), and settled in Serbia. The judicial authorities in the neighbouring country rejected the request of the Romanian side to extradite Ghita.

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/Liviu Florin Albei)