Romania: top doctor under house arrest in embezzlement case

BUCHAREST, Romania – A court has ruled that a top Romanian doctor charged with using state-owned equipment and other resources for his private clinic should be placed under house arrest.

The Bucharest Court of Appeal ruled Friday that Mihai Lucan, a well-connected urologist from the northwestern city of Cluj, would be detained at home over charges he embezzled 5 million lei ($1.3 million) from the state Institute of Urology and Renal Transplantation. Lucan denies wrongdoing.

Lucan’s son, the clinic’s manager and two other employees were briefly detained last month.

Prosecutors say Lucan and the others illegally transferred equipment to his clinic from 2007-2009 and treated 159 patients, who paid between 3,000 and 6,700 euros each ($3,630-$8,107) for treatment.

Prosecutors say Lucan also illegally used the state clinic’s materials and staff at his own clinic.