Romania: Ex-chief prosecutor gets prison in bribery case

BUCHAREST, Romania – A Romanian court sentenced an ex-prosecutor and a former senior tax official to prison Thursday for allegedly accepting bribes from a businessman who wanted a court case resolved in his favour.

The High Court of Cassation and Justice gave Alina Bica, the former chief prosecutor for the agency that investigates organized crime and terrorism, a 3 1/2-year sentence for aiding a wrongdoer.

The former head of the tax authority, Serban Pop, received five years for influence trafficking. Businessman Horia Simu received a 4-year term for buying influence. The sentences can be appealed.

Prosecutors say Pop, acting on Simu’s behalf, gave Bica a bribe of 17,500 euro ($18,700) in November 2014.

In return, Bica replaced a prosecutor who was investigating Simu for improprieties involving the country’s property restitution program and put pressure on another prosecutor to drop the case.

Prosecutors said Simu allegedly took part in a scheme that resulted in the government vastly overpaying to compensate for the communist-era seizure of 97,000 sq. meters (1 million sq. feet) of land.

Five former property restitution officials and two former lawmakers also were implicated in the alleged scheme.