Romania: Two Lawmakers Indicted for ‘Laundering Funds for Campaign’

Published: 29 September 2015

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Former presidential adviser, George Scutaru.

By Jones

Two senior politicians from Romania’s opposition Liberal Party were indicted Monday on allegations of money laundering.

The accused are former presidential adviser George Scutaru and deputy speaker of Parliament Dan Motreanu.

Prosecutors from the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) claim that Montreanu received € 250,000 (US$ 280,125) while Scutaru received 170,000 euros ($190,485) from a local politician to fund their 2008 parliamentary campaigns.

A fictitious contracts scheme was allegedly used to disguise the origin of the campaign funding.

A company administrator, Ana Maria Schaer, is also suspected of involvement.

Prosecutors seized property from the defendants amounting to a total value of about 1,213,085 lei (US$ 308,129) – the same amount they believe was laundered through the scheme.

Both Montreanu and Scutaru were members of Parliament in 2008.

The case has been passed by prosecutors to the High Court of Cassation and Justice for trial.