Former head of Romania's Chamber of Commerce gets two years in prison

Mihail Vlasov, the former president of Romania’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIR), was sentenced to two years in prison by the High Court of Cassation and Justice, on Friday. In April, he had received a decision of acquittal from the Bucharest Court of Appeal, but the judges of the High Court later approved the appeal of the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA). The high court’s decision is final, reports local Agerpres. The former CCIR president was found guilty of influence peddling. The prosecutors accused him of asking former MP Mircea Grosaru to support his interests by promoting a draft project which provided that the Trade Registry would be moved from the Justice Ministry to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania. Vlasov also tried to influence several MPs, namely Florin Iordache, Alina Gorghiu, and Aurel Vainer to support the law. Mihail Vlasov is already in prison after he was sentenced to five years in prison in another influence peddling case, in June 2015. editor@romania-insider.com