Romanian Opposition Leader Deems Integrity Probe Political Vendetta

"We are once again witnesses to political vendetta by those who run Romania today, and to an attempt to intervene and influence the results of elections held within the Social Democratic Party," Geoana said in a press release.

The Social Democratic Party has announced it would hold elections for leadership positions in the party on February 20. The party has summoned an extraordinary congress meeting for internal elections after party leader Mircea Geoana lost last year's presidential election to Traian Basescu.

The social democrat leader added the real estate transaction mentioned in the Integrity Agency's press release did not bear consequence on the level of his wealth, and the conclusions of the ANI investigators and the so called "solid clues" identified by the institution represent "a sum of falsehoods and errors committed on purpose or because of low professionalism".

Geoana said the ANI action constitutes "an obvious defamation attempt" aimed at denting his public image.

Furthermore, according to Geoana, the ANI press release left out information that he made available for the investigators.

Geoana said he has not violated the law, he has nothing to hide and he has filled out the wealth statements correctly.

Romania's National Integrity Agency has requested the General Prosecution Office to launch a probe into social democrat leader and Senate chairman Mircea Geoana for alleged forgery in his wealth statement, regarding the purchase of an apartment and two parking lots worth EUR733,000.

The agency, established to screen politicians' wealth in a move to crack down top-level corruption, said in a press release it took this measure following media reports alleging Geoana has breached the legal provisions regulating wealth statements.

Under Law no. 144/2007, senators are among high officials obliged to state their wealth.

ANI said checkups also target Geoana's wife, Mihaela Geoana, in accordance with the provisions of article 10 of Law no. 115/1996, on declaring and checking the wealth of high officials, magistrates, public servants and people holding management and control positions. Subsequent amendments to the law stipulate that, if the person whose wealth is subject to checkups is married, investigations will also target the wealth and income of their spouse.

Checkups have brought to light a series of irregularities in Geoana's wealth statement and the agency learned on July 16, 2009 that Geoana empowered a law firm to represent him, take note of all related inquiries and measures and act as intermediary.

Related checkups and analyses have revealed, among others, that Geoana has never been associate or administrator within any commercial company registered at the National Trade Registry and his wife Mihaela holds a 30% stake in commercial company S.C. LA MAISON CONSULTING SRL, and a 80% stake in S.C. TOPCONT INVEST SRL;

Geoana and his wife also hold bank accounts, land plots and have obtained large incomes and dividends over the past few years, but not all amounts were declared in their wealth statements.

Considering these aspects, it was ascertained that Geoana failed to include or provided false income-related information in his wealth statements submitted in 2006 and 2008.

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