Israeli citizen gets probation after pleading guilty in espionage case in Romania

The Bucharest Court of Appeal sentenced Israeli citizen Ron Weiner, an employee of the Israeli private intelligence firm Black Cube, to two years and eight months of probation, after he pleaded guilty in a top level espionage case. Several Israeli citizens have been investigated in Romania in this case, for allegedly spying and trying to discredit the National Anticorruption Directorate – DNA’s chief prosecutor Laura Codruta Kovesi. Ron Weiner will also be under supervision for a period of three years, reports local Agerpres. Moreover, he will also have to perform 60 days of community service. The Court’s decision is final. In mid-November last year, another Israeli citizen was sentenced to probation in the same case. The Court ruled a suspended sentence of two years and eight months for David Geclowicz. Meanwhile, Yossi Barkshtein, another Israeli citizen involved in this case, managed to flee Romania. The local authorities have issued an international arrest warrant in absentia on his name. Daniel Dragomir, a former officer of the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI), was also prosecuted for his involvement in the Black Cube case. According to the prosecutors, Dragomir got into contact with representatives of the Israeli company Black Cube, aiming to denigrate the people he considered responsible for his indictment by the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA). In 2015, Daniel Dragomir was sent to court for influence peddling, money laundering, use of classified information, and forgery. Several Israeli citizens are investigated in the Black Cube case, including the co-founders and executive directors of the Israeli private investigation firm Black Cube, for setting up an organized crime group that harassed and carried cyber-attacks on Romania’s chief anticorruption prosecutor Laura Codruta Kovesi. Rise Project: Former Mossad agents allegedly spy on Romania’s chief anticorruption prosecutor Romanian media moguls allegedly hired Israeli agents to spy on chief anticorruption prosecutor Romania’s chief anticorruption prosecutor gets new mandate amid espionage scandal Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com