RRI Live!

Listen to Radio Romania International Live

Resounding sentences

The second biggest high-level corruption case in Romania, after that involving the former Social Democratic PM Adrian Nastase, who is now in prison, is that of the powerful businessman Dan Voiculescu, the founder of the Conservative Party.

Resounding sentences
Resounding sentences

, 11.08.2014, 13:34

Dan Voiculescu’s problems with the law started in 2008 and ended now in 2014 with his sentencing to 10 years in prison for money laundering in the famous file regarding the privatization of the Institute of Food Research. With the complicity of several other people, who were also sent to prison, Voiculescu bought the Institute, located in a select residential area of Bucharest, for a little over 100 thousand euros, at a time when the land surrounding the building was worth almost 8 million euros. Prosecutors estimated the damage at 60 million euros, which is the real value of the land at the moment when Voiculescu bought the institute.



To recuperate the damage the Romanian state decided to seize Voiculescu’s assets, including the building from where the mogul’s TV stations, Antena 1 and Antena 3, are broadcasting. If Antena 1 is a general station, Antena 3 is a news station turned into an instrument of propaganda in favour of the Conservative Party and its circumstantial political allies, and especially into a weapon targeted at its adversaries. It is well known that Voiculescu’s greatest enemy and the main target of his TV stations’ attacks has been President Traian Basescu, whom he accuses of being behind his indictment and sentencing.



Left wing politicians, close to Voiculescu and his party, promised to fight for the freedom of expression of the journalists working for Antena 3, implying that this is threatened by the court’s verdict. However, the independent associations of journalists and unbiased commentators pointed out that there is no court verdict that endangers the activity of the journalists working for Voiculescu’s TV stations, trying to do away with any manipulation of the public opinion.



But who is Dan Voiculescu, besides the image he created for himself, as the victim of the Basescu regime? He is a proven collaborator with the former political police of the Communist regime, the Securitate, who allegedly took hold of the accounts of the Ceausescus.



The epitome of the mogul who made a huge fortune in the post-Communist years, Voiculescu is actually one of the characters in the documentary entitled “Kapitalism, our secret recipe” made by Alexandru Solomon 20 years after the fall of the Communist dictatorship. In the film, the dictator Nicolae Ceausescu returns after 2 decades and realizes, quite surprised, that the pillars of the new capitalist society are actually the former pillars of the Communist era, who fueled a network of connections and a corrupt system that drained the country of all its resources. Ironically, three of the characters in the documentary, among whom Voiculescu, are now imprisoned on corruption charges.

Source: MAPN
Today in the News Monday, 31 March 2025

Romania celebrates 21 years of NATO membership

Romania will continue to contribute to promoting global security and the democratic values, said interim president Ilie Bolojan on the 21st...

Romania celebrates 21 years of NATO membership
Şedinta CSAT (Credits: presidency.ro)
Today in the News Monday, 31 March 2025

Security and defense measures in Bucharest

“We are facing a complicated context after the annulled presidential election of last year, we have a strong distrust in both institutions and the...

Security and defense measures in Bucharest
Ilie Bolojan (Credits: presidency.ro)
Today in the News Friday, 28 March 2025

Paris hosts Ukraine summit

At the summit hosted by Paris, representatives of countries that have expressed their willingness to help Ukraine held talks on the security and...

Paris hosts Ukraine summit
Constitutional Court rejects Călin Georgescu's presidential candidacy (photo: Facebook / Curtea Constituțională a României)
Today in the News Friday, 28 March 2025

Drones can be downed legally

The Constitutional Court of Romania rejected, on Thursday, the complaints of the sovereigntist parties AUR, POT and S.O.S. Romania regarding two...

Drones can be downed legally
Today in the News Thursday, 27 March 2025

New legislation for the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Plan

Romanian MPs on Wednesday passed two bills that Romania pledged to adopt as part of its Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). The first concerns...

New legislation for the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Plan
Today in the News Thursday, 27 March 2025

Romania cuts state expenses

The rising budget deficit has prompted the Romanian administration to take aggressive measures to cut state expenditure. Cuts were made to budgets,...

Romania cuts state expenses
Today in the News Wednesday, 26 March 2025

Romanians still need visas for the US

The US has suspended the visa waiver program for Romanians, which, according to a decision by the former Democratic administration of Joe Biden, was...

Romanians still need visas for the US
Today in the News Wednesday, 26 March 2025

Romania and energy independence

The companies Romgaz and OMV Petrom announced that they have started drilling for the development and exploitation of natural gas deposits in the...

Romania and energy independence

Partners

Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român
Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS
Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online
Institului European din România Institului European din România
Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti
Muzeul Național de Artă al României Muzeul Național de Artă al României
Le petit Journal Le petit Journal
Radio Prague International Radio Prague International
Muzeul Național de Istorie a României Muzeul Național de Istorie a României
ARCUB ARCUB
Radio Canada International Radio Canada International
Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti” Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti”
SWI swissinfo.ch SWI swissinfo.ch
UBB Radio ONLINE UBB Radio ONLINE
Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl
creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti
italradio italradio
Institutul Confucius Institutul Confucius
BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți

Affiliates

Euranet Plus Euranet Plus
AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters
Digital Radio Mondiale Digital Radio Mondiale
News and current affairs from Germany and around the world News and current affairs from Germany and around the world
Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona

Providers

RADIOCOM RADIOCOM
Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company