Romanian Court Rules To Release One Football Corruption Suspect, Four Others Remain In Custody

Romanian Arges FC sponsor Cornel Penescu, former Arges Customer Protection Office (OJPC) director Cristian Libertatu, PIC hypermarket director Liviu Facaleata and former Central Referee Commission (CCA) president Gheorghe Constantin will remain under arrest for another 30 days, while the automatically-suspended vice-president of CCA, Marcel Lica, will be released, according to the Pitesti Court of Appeals' decision Tuesday.
 
Magistrates approved on Tuesday the appeal made by Anticorruption Department (DNA) prosecutors against the Arges Court’s decision to refuse extending the warrants of preventive custody for Cornel Penescu, Cristian Libertatu, Liviu Facaleata and Gheorghe Constantin, and decided to extend their arrest by 30 days.
 
In the case of suspended CCA vice-president Marcel Lica, the magistrates rejected DNA’s appeal against the Arges Court’s decision to refuse extending the warrant of protective custody and have decided to release him immediately.

The judges imposed several restrictions on Lica: he is forbidden to attend sporting events, including football matches, he may not visit the headquarters of the CCA or Romanian Football Federation, may not attempt to contact other suspects in the case or their families and is prohibited from practicing the profession he held prior to the arrest.

Magistrates within the Arges Court rejected as inadmissible the request issued by anticorruption prosecutors for the extension of arrest warrants issued in the names of football club FC Arges financer Cornel Penescu, former Arges Consumer Protection Office director Cristian Libertatu, Pic store director Liviu Facaleata, former Central Referee Committee (CCA) president Gheorghe Constantin and CCA vice-president Marcel Lica.

The magistrates did, however, impose several restrictions for the five, such as the obligation not to leave their town of residence and to appear before investigators whenever they are called. In addition, the five are not allowed to come into contact with the other suspects in the case, nor with their families. At the same time, the five suspects to be released are not allowed to practice their profession.

In the refereeing corruption case, on April 14, the Court ruled on the preventive arrest of Arges football club owner Cornel Penescu, former Central Commission of Referrers president Gheorghe Constantin, PIC hypermarket manager Liviu Facaleata and former Arges County Consumer Protection Office director Cristian Libertatu. Penescu and Facaleata are charged with giving bribe, while Constantin and Libertatu are charged with taking bribe.

On April 23, referees Marcel Savaniu, Sorin Corpodean and Marcel Lica were placed under preventive arrest Thursday for 29 days by the Arges Court, on charges of bribe taking.

Sorin Corpodean and Marcel Savaniu were released last Friday afternoon and put under judicial control, on a decision of the Pitesti Court of Appeals. The decision comes with a few restrictions: the defendants are banned from attending sporting events, approaching the other co-defendants and their families, witnesses and experts, and are prohibited from practicing their profession.

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