Romanian Football Referee Marcel Savaniu Denied Parole

Savaniu denied any wrongdoing.

"I’m innocent. I didn’t take bribe as anticorruption prosecutors say and I think I should be investigated at large,” Savaniu told the court.

The court, however, rejected his request for parole as ungrounded.

Referees Savaniu and Sorin Corpodean and the self-suspended vice-president of the Central Commission of Referrers, Marcel Lica, were placed under 29-day preventive arrest on April 23 on charges of bribe taking.

According to the National Anticorruption Department, on October 2, 2008, Aurelian Bogaciu, as football referee, appointed by the Romanian Football Federation as main referee in the game FC Arges - Universitatea Craiova, unfolded on October 3, 2008 in central Romanian city Pitesti, received from FC Arges financer Cornel Penescu, through Liviu Facaleata, $5.000 to favor FC Arges.

Also, on November 19, 2008, Bogaciu accepted and benefited from the offer made by Liviu Facaleata to be lodged, free of charge, at a hotel in Pitesti, in the context where he had not been sent to referee any games in Pitesti in that interval. Facaleata’s alleged purpose was to get Bogaciu to favor FC Arges in the upcoming League I games, when he would have been appointed by the Romanian Football Federation to referee.

Referees Marcel Savaniu and Sorin Corpodean, and suspended vice presidnet of the Central Committee for Referees Marcel Lica were placed under preventive arrest on April 23 for 29 days, under charges of receiving bribe.

The Arges court allowed, last Thursday, the request for release under judicial control of Marcel Lica, and anticorruption prosecutors challenged the decision.

According to the National Anticorruption Department, on December 23, 2008, referee Sorin Corpodean accepted the offer made by Liviu Ilie Facaleata, arrested in the same case, to receive items and money, and one day later he received from Facaleata $15,000 as well as items. The money and items were given to Corpodean for his refereeing in the game between FC Arges Pitesti - SC Sporting Club S.A. Vaslui (unfolded on October 19, 2008) as well as for favoritism in upcoming games.

The money was also given to Corpodean so that he would grant protection to FC Arges should he become president of the Central Referee Committee within the Romanian Football Federation.

Also, on November 22, 2008, as assistant referee appointed by the Romanian Football Federation, in the game FC Arges Pitesti - Otelul Galati (unfolded on November 23, 2008), referee Marcel Savaniu accepted receiving $3,000 to favor FC Arges Pitesti, an offer formulated by Liviu Facaleata, at the beckoning of club financer Gheorghe Cornel Penescu.

In the same case, on Novemebr 22, 2008, as observer appointed by the Romanian Football Federation in the game FC Arges Pitesti - Otelul Galati (unfolded on November 23), the vice president of the Central Referee Committee (CCA) Marcel Lica asked Liviu Facaleata for $3,000 to file an observation report favorable to FC Arges Pitesti. Lica received $2,000, delivered by Liviu Facaleata, at the beckoning of Cornel Penescu.

 

 

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