Presidency Rejects Business Ties Btw Romanian Pres, Interior Min Scandal Protagonist

Romanian President’s spokesperson Valeriu Turcan on Thursday dismissed media allegations regarding potential ties between acting President Traian Basescu, at the time when he was Bucharest mayor, and businessman Puiu Popoviciu, who was recently detained by anticorruption prosecutors.

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Imaginea articolului Presidency Rejects Business Ties Btw Romanian Pres, Interior Min Scandal Protagonist

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Turcan rejected Thursday in a press release any connection in the past between Basescu and Popoviciu and stressed that Basescu, as Bucharest mayor, was never involved in the property transfer or land registration for the residential project in the north of Bucharest, carried out by Popoviciu’s company Baneasa Investment.

Turcan also pointed out that Basescu had never set foot in Popoviciu’s company, adding that Basescu or the Bucharest mayoralty at the time had no involvement whatsoever in the respective property transfer or land registration.

“Considering the aforementioned, the President rejects any connection with any illegal acts whatsoever,” the press release read.

Popoviciu has been probed for several years now in connection with Baneasa Investment, which launched the respective residential project on a land formerly belonging to the Agricultural Science and Veterinary Medicine University in Bucharest. According to the media, Basescu allegedly backed the project and signed the authorization for water supply and sewage connection.

The Bucharest Court of Appeals decided Wednesday night that former Interior Ministry secret service head Cornel Serban, head of operations with the ministry’s General Anticorruption Department Petre Pitcovici and businessman Puiu Popoviciu will be tried at large but can’t leave the country.

The National Anticorruption Department, or DNA, said in a press rerelease Wednesday that Alecu is accused of abuse of office and Popoviciu is accused of accessory to abuse of office with severe consequences on public interest.

Former secret service head Cornel Serban was charged with aiding a felon and leaking classified information. Pitcovici, head of operations with the Interior Ministry’s general Anticorruption Department, or DGA, is also charged with aiding a felon.

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