Players’ transfers’ trial postponed for February 19

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Supreme Court judges decided on Monday to postpone for February 19 the trial concerning the National Anticorruption Directorate’s (DNA) request for the eight defendants involved in the case concerning the transfers of football players to be banned from leaving the country.
After the court proceedings resumed the court noticed that Jean Padureanu did not have a lawyer, deciding to postpone the debate on the DNA request. The DNA prosecutor had claimed, after court proceedings resumed, that the request can be discussed in the absence of defendants Mihai Stoica and Jean Padureanu and even in the absence of their lawyers, arguing that they both have court-appointed lawyers that can answer for them.
In their turn, the other lawyers pointed out that as long as Stoica and Padureanu have their own lawyers the latter should be allowed to do their job. At the same time, the lawyers present in the courtroom stated that such a request cannot be debated at this point because the persons for which a preventive measure is proposed have to make a statement, in line with the legal norms in force.
The Supreme Court decided that the trial of the appeals will resume on March 5. Defendants Victor and Ioan Becali, Cristian Borcea, Gheorghe Copos, Gheorghe Popescu and Gheorghe Netoiu attended Monday’s proceedings. The DNA request for the defendants to be banned from leaving the country was rejected.
Former Dinamo shareholder Cristian Borcea stated on Monday that he has brought his family to Romania and does not plan to leave, in order to avoid any suspicions. Former Dinamo shareholder Gheorghe Netoiu stated on Monday that the DNA’s request is not legally justified. “These are juridical problems and the lawyers know them best. I never contested and I never tried to avoid showing up at the proceedings, even though my lawyer has my mandate. I am sure the truth will come out sooner or later. It’s a pity that I’ve attended over 37 proceedings in six years. I don’t believe the measure requested by the DNA is legally justified,” Netoiu said.
In his turn, Rapid’s majority shareholder George Copos admitted that he met Gigi Becali, Victor Becali and Cristi Borcea in one of his hotels, but the meeting was not conspirative, the three discussing with a lawyer and with the representatives of a consultancy firm about the transfers’ case. Copos stated that the meeting took place in a public location and any conspiracy