Romanian politician to stand trial for lying under oath

Romanian politician Viorel Hrebenciuc, a former leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) was sent to court for perjury, the prosecutors accusing him of giving false statements in the case in which businessman Ioan Niculae and former president of Braila County Council Gheorghe Bunea Stancu were sentenced to prison. The case was opened at the Prosecutor’s Office of the Dristict 1 Court, following a complaint filed by Ioan Niculae, reports local Agerpres. The businessman accused Hrebenciuc of false testimony in the case related to his financing of Mircea Geoana’s presidential campaign in 2009. At that time, Geoana ran for President as a PSD candidate but lost to Traian Basescu. The National Anticorruption Department DNA recorded Viorel Hrebenciuc's testimony in October 2011, as he was a key witness in the case dubbed "Bribery at PSD". However, the prosecutors now say that his statements at that time were false. He again made alleged false statements in June 2013, when he was heard as a witness at the District 1 Court. As a consequence, the court acquitted Ioan Niculae and Gheorghe Bunea Stancu. Last year, the case tried at the Court of Appeal, where Hrebenciuc was once again heard as a witness. This time, his statements were true, according to the prosecutors, which led to prison sentences for both Niculae and Stancu. Romanian politician charged with false testimony against local businessman Former Romanian PM charged with perjury in illegal restitution case Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com