Romanian MEP involved in corruption scandal

Romanian Adrian Severin, member of the European Parliament, has been involved in a corruption scandal after he reportedly agreed to offer his services in exchange for a sum of money to journalists from The Sunday Times posing in lobbyists.

The journalists from the British newspaper asked various deputies to submit several amendments in exchange for sums of up to EUR 100,000. Severin was one of the three EU officials who accepted.

The other two were Zoran Thaler, former External Affairs Minister in Slovenia and the third was former Austrian minister of Internal Affairs Ernst Strasser. Both the Slovenian and the Austrian euro-parliamentarians have submitted their resignation.

Severin reportedly sent an e-mail to the so-called lobbyists, saying: “Just so you know, the amendment you want has been submitted on time.” Shortly, he also sent a EUR 12,000 invoice for “counseling services.”

Severin denied he had submitted any amendment, saying that he had done nothing wrong and said he asked the president of the European Parliament to take measures against the journalists of The Sunday Times.

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“I was offered a consultancy contract as member in the board of international experts of this company, Tyler Jones, which proved to be a fake firm,” the euro-parliamentarian said for Mediafax newswire.

He added the contract stipulated he should provide consultancy regarding European procedures, so, based on the opinions and the advice given, the company could establish a policy.

“It is a legal contract. We have the right to be members in these ‘advisory boards’ we have the right to function as political consultants, with the only obligation not to reveal confidential information,” said Severin.

The vice-president of the socialist group in the European Parliament, Hannes Swoboda, implied on Monday that Severin should resign from the European Parliament because any case of corruption is “totally unacceptable.”

Meanwhile, Severin self-suspended himself from the position of vice-president of the Social Democrat Party in Romania until his situation is clarified.

He also said he was called to Brussels for talks on the accusations brought against them by The Sunday Times.

Otilia Haraga