Constanta County Council Chairman Nicusor Constantinescu, currently under preventive arrest for malfeasance in office, conflict of interests and corrupting voters, has been suspended from office through an order issued on Tuesday by Constanta County Prefect Ion Constantin. The order can be attacked in administrative court, in line with legal procedures.
Nicusor Constantinescu was present at the Constanta Court of Appeals yesterday, where the appeal filed by his lawyer against the preventive arrest measure was trialled. If the court decides to cancel the preventive arrest measure Nicusor Constantinescu could return in office, since the Prefect would be forced to rescind the suspension order.
Constanta County Council Chairman Nicusor Constantinescu was detained by the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) for several counts, including malfeasance in office, conflict of interests and corrupting voters. He was subsequently placed under preventive arrest by the Constanta Court on February 20, being charged with making illegal payments from public funds to associations, foundations and sport clubs.
He was previously suspended last summer, when he was placed under preventive arrest in the case in which he is accused of under-financing the Area Military Circle. The court subsequently took the decision to place him under judicial control instead. In this case, DNA Constanta has forwarded to the court a new request to replace the judicial control measure with preventive arrest, a request that is set to be trialled on Wednesday.
