Businessman Dorin Cocos made a denunciation in the Microsoft case including reports on Vasile Blaga, but made no reference to Elena Udrea, according to Mediafax. The quoted sources did not name the people cited by Cocos, but noted that the line of his confessions led to Vasile Blaga.
Dorin Cocos gave during six hours details to the prosecutors on the illegal funds he would take to Traian Basescu’s preferred party at the time, PDL, according to Romania TV. Cocos indicated Vasile Blaga as the person who was managing the black money. He told the investigators how much money he would take to the party, to whom he would give it and the sources. Dorin Cocos says, in his denunciation, that the money was paid for the 2009 election campaigns – presidential and European parliament ones. Alin Albu was the connection between Vasile Blaga and Dorin Cocos, but, according to the businessman, he also gave Vasile Blaga personally EUR 2 M. He would deliver the money in shopping bags, according to information obtained by Romania TV. The money was given to Blaga immediately after Cocos received it from Dinu Pescariu.
Vasile Blaga and PDL treasurer Alin Albu are the subject of three criminal denunciations. Dorin Cocos and a businessman told the prosecutors what Vasile Blaga and Alin Albu were doing with the black campaign money. The information they provided completed Gabriel Sandu’s deposition.
Alin Albu was indicated as the intermediary of a bribe of EUR 80,000 given by a businessman to Vasile Blaga, according to Romania TV. The businessman says the money was paid in exchange for a printing services contract from PDL. More than that, he told the investigators that Alin Albu, who was the party treasurer, was keeping double records – one for the officially declared legal funds and one for illegal campaign funds. The man reportedly told DNA that he had provided posters and promotional materials for the 2009 campaign but was never paid, incurring a loss of EUR 300,000 which pushed him into bankruptcy.
The denunciation made by the businessman relates to one of the depositions Gabriel Sandu gave to DNA. ‘I was supposed to bring EUR 5 M to the party. I paid that money from my own funds. I was supposed to contribute to the presidential election campaign 4 M euro’, the former Communications minister said. Apart from the fact that Sandu claimed that he had carried millions of euro by the bag to the party, he also reminded of an unclean deal involving electoral letters for Traian Basescu’s campaign.
Dorin Cocos, released in Microsoft case but still behind bars
Following the denunciations made by Dorin Cocos, the DNA prosecutors have asked the High Court of Cassation and Justice (ICCJ) magistrates to replace the remand measure with house arrest. However, Cocos may still not leave the Bucharest Police incarceration facility as he is subject to a new preventive arrest warrant issued in the Alina Bica case, spun off the one concerning the illegal ANRP damages where his son, Alin Cocos, as well as ex-DIICOT chief were also arrested and ex-Economy Minister Adriean Videanu was placed under judicial control.
In Gheorghe Stefan’s case, the High Court granted DNA’s request and extended the preventive remand with another 30 days, from 26 February to 27 March.
In the same case, the judges also extended the house arrest measure enforced against ex-Communications Minister Gabriel Sandu and businessman Dumitru Nicolae with 30 days, from 23 February to 24 March.
Dorin Cocos is currently arrested in the Microsoft case alongside the suspended Mayor of Piatra Neamt city, Gheorghe Stefan. Until 25 January, ex-Communications Minister Gabriel Sandu and businessman Dumitru Nicolae had also been under arrest, but, in the meantime, the measure has been changed to house arrest.
Elena Udrea was also under arrest in the same case, from 11 to 17 February, but now is on house arrest.
Blaga, on Cocos’ denunciation: I and the party have no concern in the Microsoft affair
Vasile Blaga said he personally nor the party had absolutely no concern in the Microsoft matter, by that answering a question regarding a denunciation Dorin Cocos had reportedly made. Blaga was asked what he thought of the second denunciation, Dorin Cocos’, citing his name in the Microsoft case.
PNL Co-president Vasile Blaga said Monday he personally, or the former PDL, had no concern in the ‘Microsoft affair’ and that so far he had not been asked by prosecutors to offer any clarifications
‘Personally, I and the party have absolutely no concern in what you call the Microsoft affair. None. If anyone has any questions, when they have, if the prosecutor wants clarifications, I will go there with absolutely no issues, as any other citizen of this country. No prosecutor has asked me anything’, Blaga said.
