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Romanian Arges Football Club Owner Arrested On Bribery Charges

The Arges Court, southern Romania, ruled Tuesday to place Arges football club owner Cornel Penescu under arrest for 29 days, alongside Gheorghe Constantin, head of the Central Commission of Referees, and other two officials in Arges, on bribery charges involving several football matches.
Romanian Arges Football Club Owner Arrested On Bribery Charges
14 apr. 2009, 11:30, English

Penescu and Constantin, alongside Liviu Facaleata, general manager of PIC hypermarket, and Cristian Libertatu, former manager of Arges Consumer Protection Department, were taken to the courthouse Tuesday morning with the proposal for temporary arrest.
 
Anticorruption prosecutors detained Penescu Monday afternoon, while the other three were detained Monday night for alleged bribery.
 
Penescu and Facaleata are charged with giving bribe, while Constantin and Libertatu are charged with taking bribe.
 
According to the prosecutors of the local anticorruption department in Arges, Penescu allegedly offered some EUR125,000 to referees as bribe to make sure his team wins several matches.
 
Prosecutors also launched probes into referees Marcel Savaniu, Aurel Bogaciu and Tiberiu Lajos. 
 
The same sources said prosecutors launched an investigation in this case in 2008, which targets bribery crimes involving football games, namely EUR3000, EUR10,000 and EUR15,000, respectively, allegedly offered to referees as bribe for the games between FC Arges and FC Brasov, Gloria Bistrita and Universitatea Craiova, respectively.
 
According to sources, Penescu allegedly offered bribe to referees by means of various people to favor FC Arges in the games against the aforementioned teams. According to investigators, Penescu allegedly offered a total EUR54,000 and 292,000 lei (EUR1=RON4.1300) as bribe.
 
Prosecutors in Arges County searched Monday morning both Penescu’s home and the club headquarters.
 
Prosecutors also went Monday to the headquarters of the Romanian Football Federation (FRF) to get several documents related to the file drafted by the anticorruption department in Arges.