Romanian media mogul has chance to leave prison after judge expelled

Romanian judge Camelia Bogdan, who became famous after sentencing media mogul Dan Voiculescu to ten years in prison for benefitting from the illegal privatization of a big research institute controlled by the Agriculture Ministry, was expelled from magistracy. The Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM) announced its decision to expel Camelia Bogdan yesterday, reports local Hotnews.ro. The decision is related to Voiculescu’s case and offers the businessman the opportunity to get rid of his 10-year sentence. The decision is not final, however, and can be challenged at the Supreme Court in 15 days. The CSM decision comes following a notice submitted by the Group for Political Investigations, led by Mugur Ciuvica, a permanent guest at one of Voiculescu’s TV stations – Antena 3, and the Foundation for the Defense of Citizens against State Abuse (FACIAS), financed by Dan Voiculescu. Camelia Bogdan announced that she would challenge the decision both at the Supreme Court, as well as the European Court for Human Rights. According to the CSM press release, Camelia Bogdan, who is currently a judge at the Bucharest Court of Appeal, was excluded because she violated the law "on incompatibilities and bans on judges and prosecutors." The Group for Political Investigations and FACIAS came up with the following accusation: during Dan Voiculescu’s trial, the judge spent two weeks in the mountain resort Poiana Brasov, as a trainer in a program financed by the Agriculture Ministry, who was one of the damaged parts in the file. Moreover, the judge allegedly received RON 10,000 from the Agriculture Ministry as a trainer. Following CSM’s announcement, Voiculescu’s lawyer Gheorghita Mateut said that he planned to ask for the revision of Dan Voiculescu’s sentence. Voiculescu, one of Romania’s richest, owns the Antena group, which includes the Antena 1 and Antena 3 TV stations. editor@romania-insider.com