The National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) has indicted on Wednesday former vice prime minister and interior minister Gabriel Oprea, in a case on procurement for the Information and Internal Protection Directorate (DIPI) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MAI).
Prosecutors charged Senator Oprea of office abuse in his former capacity of vice PM for national security and interior minister, resulting in undue benefits for himself or for others.
Four senior police officers were also indicted in this case, for complicity to office abuse; three of them also face charges of misappropriation of funds.
DNA’s prosecutors allege that Oprea, assisted by two police officers, supplemented by 410,000 lei (more than 91,000 euros) DIPI’s funds for operational expenditure; the minister approved the purchase of a Audi A8 car, officially assigned to the protection of dignitaries. This was illegal, prosecutors assert, as cars can be purchased from MAI’s operational funds strictly for criminal investigations in corruption cases; thus, the aforementioned sum is considered a damage.
One of the indicted policemen, then DIPI head, covertly assigned the said car to Oprea’s personal and exclusive use.
The prosecutors ordered the sequestration of defendants’ assets to cover the damages.
The case will be tried a the High Court of Cassation and Justice, Romania’s Supreme Court.
