Former Romanian intelligence service deputy head probed for influence peddling

The former deputy head of Romania's intelligence service SRI (2005-2017), Florian Coldea, was placed under judicial control on bail of RON 500,000 (EUR 100,000) payable within seven days after the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) initiated an investigation in a corruption case where he is suspected of influence peddling and money laundering.

General (R) Dumitru Dumbravă, who served as head of the legal department of SRI, and lawyer Doru Trăilă were placed under judicial control on the same bail in the same file.

Businessman Cătălin Hideg denounced the three, claiming that Florian Coldea and Dumitru Dumbravă asked him EUR 600,000 for the "optimisation" of his sentence in a case involving fraud with EU funds.

DNA prosecutors claim that lawyer Trăilă and consultants Coldea and Dumbravă promised Hideg that in exchange for EUR 600,000 (of which EUR 100,000 paid), they would help him obtain a suspended sentence and have his judicial control lifted, according to G4media.ro.

However, Hideg was sentenced in the first instance. In response, he refused to pay the rest of the money and reported Coldea, Dumbrava, and Traila to the DNA.

Cătălin Hideg was convicted in the first instance in a file handled by the European Public Prosecutor's Office for fraud on purchases made during the pandemic.

(Photo source: Inquam Photos / Eduard Vînătoru)