Former Romanian finance minister sentenced to 7 years and 4 months in jail for corruption

Former finance minister Sebastian Vladescu has been sentenced to seven years and four months in prison for bribery. The sentence, ruled by the High Court, is final.

Mircea Costea, another suspect in the case, was also sentenced to six years in jail, while in the case of former MP Cristain Boureanu, the court found that the facts have been prescribed, according to G4media.ro.

About a year ago, Vladescu received a first sentence of eight years and six months. Following the appeal, the High Court decided on a shorter jail sentence.

The corruption case targeted the awarding procedure of contracts to revamp several sections of the railway. Anticorruption prosecutors said that, between 2005-2017, a foreign company paid about EUR 20 million to Romanian officials or persons with influence over them, in the form of commissions, for the conclusion and execution of railway rehabilitation contracts.

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea)