Romania’s former SME Credit Guarantee Fund director can’t justify wealth

Romania’s National Integrity Agency (ANI) has found an unjustified difference of over EUR 1 million between the wealth of Aurel Saramet, a former director of the National Credit Guarantee Fund for Small and Medium-Sized Companies (SMEs), and his income. ANI has notified the Wealth Investigation Committee within the Bucharest Court of Appeal to check Saramet’s income. He was director within the SMEs Credit Guarantee Fund between December 2004 and November 2013, with an annual income of some RON 744,000 (EUR 162,000). In 2012, Saramet was indicted in a bank fraud case with a EUR 22 million loss, according to the Anti-Organized Crime Directorate (DIICOT). The National Credit Guarantee Fund for SMEs has an important role in granting credits for the state-backed “First House” lending program. editor@romania-insider.com