Former head of Romanian energy watchdog indicted for alleged improper benefits

Romania’s National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) indicted Niculae Havrileț, former head of the National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE) who also served as state secretary in the Ministry of Economy, for allegedly receiving improper benefits from three energy companies.

According to the DNA prosecutors, concurrently and after the termination of the mandates in the two positions, Havrilet allegedly served as a member of the management structures of three companies operating in the field of energy: energy group OMV Petrom and the electricity utility companies, Electrica and Electrica Distributie. In these positions, Havrilet reportedly derived benefits in the amount of RON 1.2 million (EUR 240,000).

The law prohibits a person who supervises or controls a private operator from, for five years or concurrently, performing any task for these firms.

As part of this investigation, the DNA established that Havrileț violated the law because, both within the five-year period from the end of the mandate as director of the ANRE, as well as concurrently, but also after the mandate from 2019 -2021 as Secretary of State for Energy in the Ministry of Economy, he held several positions within three companies operating in the sector of energy.

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