Political leader in Romania's Prahova county investigated in bribery case

The president of the Prahova County Council, Liberal Iulian Dumitrescu, has been placed under judicial control for 60 days after the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) accused him of bribery and false statements.

Prosecutors had conducted several searches in the case, including at the County Council's headquarters on February 1.

The official's sister and brother-in-law, who are alleged to have helped Dumitrescu obtain money, trips abroad, and luxury goods, were also placed under judicial control.

"The accused Dumitrescu Iulian, with the help of [his brother-in-law], would have demanded, during November-December 2022, from a businessman, the acquisition of the shares owned by [Dumitrescu's brother-in-law] in a commercial company, overestimated compared to their real value, in exchange for the sum of RON 47.5 million (EUR 9.5 million)," the prosecutors note in their statement.

"Following the demand, [Dumitrescu's sister] would have falsely drawn up a bank statement in the name of the traded company that included untrue mentions regarding the initial balance of the account, turnovers, and operations carried out on this account during January-February 2023. Also following the demand, in June 2023, the [brother-in-law] would have given a statement that did not correspond to the truth to the fiscal authorities. The two accomplices, although they no longer had any official capacity within the traded company in 2023, would have continued to manage sums of money from some of the company's bank accounts, part of which would have ultimately reached Dumitrescu Iulian, or would have been used for his benefit," the DNA press release adds.

Iulian Dumitrescu reportedly spent EUR 600,000 on vacations and luxury goods in a year. He also allegedly lowered the value of the dividends received by his wife from a commercial company in which she was an associate. The undeclared sums would have been spent on trips abroad and luxury goods, according to Digi24.

As a result, prosecutors froze the bank accounts of the three accused, along with a real estate property belonging to Dumitrescu and 19 properties belonging to the two accomplices.

The investigation also continues against Vasile Anna-Maria, the public administrator of Prahova County and CA President at Distributie Energie Electrica Romania SA.

Upon leaving the DNA Bucharest headquarters on Thursday, Iulian Dumitrescu did not want to make statements. Instead, he announced on