January 22, 2014

One of the nine judges of Romania’s Constitutional Court Toni Grebla has today been interviewed by the National Anti-Corruption Directorate in a file where, among other counts, he has been facing charges of influence peddling and setting up an organized crime ring. According to the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, Grebla has been accused that over 2010-2015 he was paid undue gains by a businessman. In exchange, Grebla promised he would use his official position so that several public sector workers could favor companies controlled by the aforementioned businessman. In another development, the High Court of Cassation and Justice has admitted the National Anti-Corruption Directorate’s official request to keep in custody former Liberal Interior minister Cristian David, for 30 days. David has been accused of bribe-taking, as in 2007 and 2008 he was paid 500 thousand Euro. David is also accused of having abused his office to influence a County Council president to issue a property title for a 15-hectare plot of land. We recall the aforementioned County Council president has recently been detained in another file.

Florentin Căpitănescu, 22.01.2015, 13:21

One of the nine judges of Romania’s Constitutional Court Toni Grebla has today been interviewed by the National Anti-Corruption Directorate in a file where, among other counts, he has been facing charges of influence peddling and setting up an organized crime ring. According to the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, Grebla has been accused that over 2010-2015 he was paid undue gains by a businessman. In exchange, Grebla promised he would use his official position so that several public sector workers could favor companies controlled by the aforementioned businessman. In another development, the High Court of Cassation and Justice has admitted the National Anti-Corruption Directorate’s official request to keep in custody former Liberal Interior minister Cristian David, for 30 days. David has been accused of bribe-taking, as in 2007 and 2008 he was paid 500 thousand Euro. David is also accused of having abused his office to influence a County Council president to issue a property title for a 15-hectare plot of land. We recall the aforementioned County Council president has recently been detained in another file.

Three-way talks are well underway in Chisinau, bringing together the pro-European parties, the Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova, the Liberal Party and the Democratic Party, in a bid to set up a coalition capable of forming the new government, in the wake of the legislative elections held in November last year. Negotiations failed on Wednesday, despite recommendations made by the European politicians who had been holding talks in Chisinau with the leaders of the three parties. The Party of the Communists, in opposition, announced it would in no way join a governing coalition, while the socialists, who received the greatest number of votes in favor in the most recent election, have suggested denouncing the association agreement with the European Union. Moldovan Parliament’s plenary session on Wednesday turned down the initiative.

At least 34 people have lost their lives in the last 24 hours in Ukraine’s Russian-speaking eastern region, 10 of whom were Ukrainian soldiers, the AFP quoted local officials as saying. The Ukrainian army this morning has abandoned Donetsk airport’s new terminal, the main position they used to fight against pro-Russian secessionist forces, the AFP also said. As of January 15, rebels, who seized part of the airport’ s buildings, have launched a strong offensive, in a bid to regain control over the positions last held by the Ukrainian army. President Petro Poroshenko has stated more than 9,000 Russian soldiers, supported by more than 500 tanks, heavy artillery weapons and personnel carriers have been deployed in eastern Ukraine. The accusation are an absolute first since the Minsk agreement has been signed in September last year. According to OSCE, since April 2014, more than 5,000 people, civilians and military, have lost their lives in the clashes between the Ukrainian army and the secessionists.

Romania’s Energy Minister Andrei Gerea in Bucharest today is taking part in a preliminary meeting with IMF officials. High on the talks’ agenda is the timetable for the stock exchange listing of some of the companies subordinate to the Energy Ministry. The IMF’s official mission will be in Bucharest over January 27-February 10, for a new assessment of the existing stand-by agreement. As part of the meeting with Romanian officials and representatives of the private sector, trade unions, business enterprise associations as well as with representatives of political parties and civil society, talks will also focus on economic developments and the priorities of the structural reforms. The visit of an IMF delegation to Bucharest last occurred in December, when key elements were agreed upon, underlying the budget structure for 2015.

Romanian tennis player Marius Copil has today been defeated by WTA 4th-seed Stanislas Wawrinka, in a confrontation counting towards the second round of the year’s second Grand Slam tournament, the Australian Open. Winner of last year’s Australian Open, Wawrinka defeated Copil, 7-6, 7-6, 6-3, who came straight from the main draw. Also today, in the first round of the men’s doubles, the Romanian-Dutch pair made of Horia Tecau and Jean Julien Rojer, respectively, snatched a 6-4, 6-2 win against Ricardas Berkanis of Lithuania and Andreas Heider-Maurer of Austria. In the women’s singles, two Romanian tennis players have already made headway into the Australian Open’s third round. WTA 3-rd seed and favorite number tree to winning the title Simona Halep will be taking on the American Bethanie Mattek Sands, while Irina Begu will be facing Carina Witthoeft of Germany.