“Basescu doesn’t want to leave before seeing me convicted.”
Dan Voiculescu went to the DNA headquarters early Thursday to ask prosecutors to lift the judicial control measure implemented in his case, invoking ‘excessive exposure’ due to his obligation to go to the Police station twice a week, which gives the impression he is guilty. “I told them I would like not to have to go to the Police constantly because I have no reason to. I won’t leave the country, my vacation is ruined anyway. Everybody should be at peace, I have no reason to,” Voiculescu said upon leaving he headquarters of the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA).
Voiculescu stated further that his challenge against the judicial control was justified. “I argued my case as follows: I am not guilty and one is presumed innocent until proven guilty; this excessive exposure practically gives the impression of a man who goes to the Police every day or twice a week, which means he is in trouble. This investigation is currently ongoing and they have yet to establish whether or not I knew X or Y – they’ll see I did not – and find out why they made those statements. (…) Saying that someone is guilty before he is sentenced suggests certain interests are being served,” he explained.
Dan Voiculescu noted that “some are in a hurry” to see him convicted in the case involving the privatization of the Food Research Institute (ICA) by December because, in his opinion, “Basescu’s term ends in November” and he wants to see him convicted before he leaves. “The closing argument will not be given on Monday (editor’s note – August 4, the new deadline in the ICA case). I am aware some are in a hurry to convict Voiculescu before December. I’ve been trying to figure out the reason; it’s because Basescu will be leaving in November and he doesn’t want to go before without seeing that I am convicted,” he said. Dan Voiculescu emphasized he is not afraid of going to prison.
On September 26, 2013, the Bucharest Court sentenced Dan Voiculescu to five years’ imprisonment for money laundering in the ICA case.
