Romania’s former President, investigated for money laundering

Romania’s former President Traian Basescu is investigated for money laundering, according to an official announcement made by the General Prosecutor’s Office on Friday. Basescu allegedly committed the crime between 2000 and 2005, when he was mayor of Bucharest. During that period, he concluded successive contracts for the sale and purchase of real estate properties, according to the prosecutors. The prosecutors opened the case on him based on two notifications, one from the National Office for Preventing and Combating Money Laundering and one from the Political Investigations Group. In 2012, the case was closed and the prosecutors decided not to start the criminal prosecution. In May 2015, however, the Bucharest Tribunal invalidated the decision, and the file was reopened. editor@romania-insider.com