Romanian opposition MP gets suspended jail sentence for bribe taking

Mihai Voicu, an MP of the main opposition party - the National Liberal Party (PNL), received a three year suspended sentence for having asked and received bribe (or “donations”) in exchange for placing candidates on a superior position on the list of candidates for the local and parliamentary elections in 2012, News.ro reported. At that time, he was a deputy president of the party.

He was sentenced for having used his position or authority to derive benefits for himself or others, under Article 13 of the anticorruption law 78/2000. Similarly, donations were asked and received for appointing party members in public positions. The decision is not final.

Under the PNL statute, Voicu is suspended from his position of PNL member, to be restored in his position upon his acquittal or excluded from the party if the sentence is upheld in the superior court that will judge the appeal.

Two other natural persons and one legal person received suspended sentences in the same case. Two of them were accused of money laundering and complicity to money laundering. Furthermore, the authorities confiscated some RON 290,000 (EUR 60,000) from the four.

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