Appeals Court upholds 4 year-prison sentence for Mircea Basescu

The Constanta Court of Appeal has upheld a 4-year prison sentence for Mircea Basescu, brother of former Romanian president Traian Basescu, who was found guilty of influence peddling. The court’s ruling is final.

Magistrates also upheld a 3-year prison sentence for Marian Capatana, a defendant in the same case, who was found guilty of complicity to influence peddling. The judges also ruled that the amount of EUR 265,000 should be seized from Capatana.

The court also decided that the levy imposed in 2014 on the movable and immovable assets of Mircea Basescu by order of the Prosecutor’s Office of the High Court of Cassation and Justice should be lifted. The Court of Appeal also ruled that Mircea Basescu does not need to pay the amount of EUR 265,000, as previously ruled by an inferior court.

Mircea Basescu and Marian Capatana were indicted in June 2014 by prosecutors of the National Anti-corruption Directorate (DNA) for influence peddling and complicity to influence peddling, respectively. After the being placed under preventive arrest, the defendants were placed under house arrest and later under judicial control. The trial started in November 2014.

According to the DNA, between February 20, 2011 – February 22, 2012, Mircea Basescu received the amount of EUR 250,000 from Florin Anghel (denouncer in the case) via Marian Capatana, who acted as the intermediary, in exchange for influencing judges to give a favorable ruling in a case involving the father of Florin Anghel, Sandu Anghel.

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Upon hearing the final ruling of the Constanta Court of Appeal, former president Traian Basescu said:

“In regards to the sentencing of my brother, I do not have any comment, as the court’s ruling is final, regardless of what I think. It is a final ruling sentencing him to four years in prison, but, as far as I understand, the Constanta Court of Appeal did not retain payment obligations.”

According to broadcaster Digi24, in effect, Mircea Basescu will spend only one year and two months behind bars, as he was already under preventive and house arrest for a significant amount of time.

Georgeta Gheorghe