Romanian Businessmen, Supreme Court Judge Arrested For 29 Days On Corruption Charges

Costiniu’s arrest ruling is a first for the Romanian judiciary, as this is the first time a Supreme Court judge is arrested. Costiniu, 60, is accused of receiving bribe to intervene with several magistrates in favor of Casuneanu and Locic.

Costiniu, Locic and Casuneanu challenged the court ruling and the appeal will be tried Monday by a panel of nine judges with the Supreme Court.

Arrest warrants for the three defendants are valid from April 10 to May 8.

The arrest of the three comes after opposition social democrat senator Catalin Voicu was placed under arrest for 30 days on charges on influence peddling and fraud, in the same file.

According to prosecutors, Voicu claimed and received RON119,000 in August 2009 from Locic to whom he promised to intervene with the police in a criminal case.

Prosecutors also say Voicu offered to help influential people who had certain interests in files tried by the Bucharest Court and the Supreme Court, in return for support in acceding to a government position.

Voicu is also accused of trying to pull the strings to become Interior Minister if social democrat Mircea Geoana would have won presidential elections in 2009.

Romanian media recently made public fragments of discussions which show Voicu tried to intervene with the Supreme Court and the Police in cases involving Casuneanu, Locic and Constanta mayor’s brother Alexandru Mazare.