Romanian Bribery Suspects Constantin, Libertatu Remain Under Arrest

Arges county magistrates rejected the requests in a meeting that lasted about one hour and a half.

The lawyers said in their pleas that their clients need to be investigated at large because Gheorghe Constantin underwent colon surgery one month ago, at a clinic in Vienna, and he needs treatment. Libertatu’s defenders, in their turn, said he has a difficult family situation because his wife and one year old child are ill.

After the decision was announced, the lawyers announced they would appeal in the Pitesti Court of Appeal.

The lawyers of Arges football club financer Cornel Penescu, and those of the other people put under preventive arrest under charges of soliciting and offering bribe, submitted Tuesday in the Arges Court requests for their clients' temporary release, on probation.

The Arges Court issued last week the explanation for the preventive arrest of Cornel Penescu, Central Referee Commission president Gheorghe Constantin, PIC store general manager Liviu Facaleata and former Arges consumer protection office manager Cristian Libertatu.

"A memory stick was found during the search performed at the PIC headquarters, in the office of Penescu Gheorghe Cornel, marked «kickback C.G.». Penescu Gheorghe Cornel gave defendant Constantin Gheorghe a large sum of money, in RON50 bills, in a white envelope," the court notes.

The court’s explanation reveals the National Anticorruption Department started investigating since September 2008 the fact that Penescu Cornel allegedly gave money to Central Referee Commission president Gheorghe Constantin to appoint certain referees who would favor FC Arges in championship matches. This involves six games in the 2008-2009 season, for which bribes of sums worth between $2,000 and $15,000, cumulating $33,000.

 

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