Romanian Court Of Appeals Denies Release From Custody To Suspended Mayor

Solomon asked the Court of Appeals in Pitesti, southern Romania, to allow him to go on trial at large, as he poses no social threat. He added that he is not guilty and has not received any bribes from Cornel Penescu, financer of football club FC Arges.

After the court denied his appeal, the indicted mayor was escorted back to the Colibasi Penitentiary.

On May 10, the Court of Arges County denied the former mayor's release from custody. His trial date, which had been rescheduled from April 13 to May 13, was postponed once more, to June 8.

Solomon was placed under preventive custody on March 3 and subsequently denied release on parole or bail.

Solomon, the former leader of the country's ruling Democratic Liberal Party (PDL) local branch, is accused of having taken a EUR50,000 bribe from a major shareholder of the local PIC company. The former mayor is charged with repeated bribe taking and intellectual forgery, in a corruption case which involves Penescu and two other defendants.

Upon his indictment, Solomon, 54, had been mayor of Craiova since 2004, reelected in 2008. He was suspended from public office following his arrest.

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