Romanian Police Raid Nati Meir’s Firm, Seize Over 1,500 Forged EUR500 Banknotes

Prosecutors requested on Tuesday that Nati Meir be put in preventive custody for 29 days, under charges of circulation of forged currency and possession of forged currency with intent to circulate, forging foreign currency and bribery.

One of the lawyers defending Romanian politician Nati Meir, recently detained on charges of fraud, said three people filed complaints against Meir, stressing one complaint targets the unfolding of a contract involving Meir's election campaign song for the upcoming presidential elections.

His lawyer said one of the three complaints was filed by the artist manager of popular manele singer Adrian Simionescu, known as Adi Copilul Minune, who accuses Meir of defrauding him of EUR50,000 Meir was supposed to pay in exchange for an election campaign song until December.

After backing out of the presidential race, Meir told Simionescu's manager that he wishes to terminate the contract, since the object of the contract was no longer valid, Meir's lawyer added.

Meir's lawyers said their client provided investigators, who personally handed over the subpoena to Meir, with goods and items to be further used as evidence in his case.

Furthermore, Meir's lawyers said investigators failed to bring a search warrant signed by a judge, in accordance with legal procedures, as they "only came to hand in the subpoena".

A person whose identity was not disclosed, filed a complaint against Meir on Monday, accusing the latter of lending fake banknotes of EUR500.

On Monday evening, organized crime squads found two fake banknotes in Meir's office, following search operations.

Meir was taken to the department fighting organized crime and heard by the prosecutors investigating the case. Prosecutors will propose judges on Tuesday to issue preventive arrest warrant for Meir.

Meir, who said he inherited over $2 billion from a relative in the USA whose identity was never disclosed, was found guilty in numberless cases of fraud in Tel Aviv and Haifa, Israel, in the 1980s and 1990s.

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