The PNL did not renounce the influential leaders in the territory, although it could be affected in terms of image. Party strategists prefer public censure to losing key positions in local government.
One of the most publicized cases is his Julian Dumitrescu, investigated by the DNA under judicial control after allegedly receiving a bribe of 16 million lei (over 3.2 million euros) from a businessman from whom he had asked 47.5 million lei. Dumitrescu submitted his candidacy file on Wednesday, April 24, although he did not have the green light from the central leadership.
Moreover, in the meeting of the national political bureau (BPN) the following day, the PNL only validated the candidacy for the municipality of Ploiești, not the one for the head of the Prahova County Council. The liberals from the county interpreted in a way favorable to them, i.e. the fact that there is no need for validation at the central level for the head of the CJ, so there are no problems in supporting Iulian Dumitrescu. The PNL Prahova resolution was announced, given that over 30 candidates for the presidency of the county councils were validated in the BPN in recent weeks.
Dumitrescu still remains an influential leader in the territory, although in the last year, his power has eroded. He reached the peak of power in 2021, when he had come to control almost a third of the PNL organizations and managed to impose people from his political “church” in important positions.
PNL leaders from Iași, quarreled with the law
As Libertatea previously wrote, the mayor of Iași, Mihai Chirica, and his party colleague Costel Alexe, the president of the Iași County Council, each have two referrals to court for acts committed in the exercise of public office, with which they enter the electoral race for a new mandate.
Chirica’s last “feat” is that of April 19, when he and 19 other people were sent to court on charges of forming an organized criminal group, abuse of office, bribery, influence peddling and usurpation of office, false intellectual, forgery in documents under private signature, use of forgery, tax evasion, embezzlement and money laundering.
The mayor of the county, Costel Alexe, the head of the CJ Iași, is sent to court, being accused by prosecutors of bribery, incitement to embezzlement and abuse of office.
PSD relies on mayors with criminal problems
The most famous social democratic candidate having problems with the law is Robert Negoiță, a politician aiming for a new term at the District 3 City Hall. Robert Negoiță and several civil servants were sent to court for abuse of office. The mayor is accused by DNA prosecutors of concluding several sanitation contracts, and the damage amounts to over half a billion lei.
The candidate is also prosecuted in another file, for abuse of office, because “during the period 2015-2021, the suspect Negoiță Robert Sorin (…) allegedly approved the issuance of allegedly illegal documents necessary for the construction and registration of a building (block ) located in the central area of the city of Bucharest”, according to DNA.
In the municipality of Suceava, PSD is on its own Vasile Rîmbuformer manager of the Suceava County Emergency Hospital, sent to court by DNA prosecutors for using information that was not intended for publicity.
“Is he convicted by a magistrate of something? Is it condemned by anyone? Does he have citizenship rights just like me, just like you? Is he being sent to court?”, answered Marcel Ciolacu, according to News.ro.
The mayor of Botoșani also remains in the PSD team, Cosmin Ionut Andrei, under judicial control, accused of acts of corruption. The social democrat in office will be a candidate again, the decision having already been taken at the level of the county leadership, and until now, those from the center have not opposed. In fact, the mayor’s Facebook page shows him very electorally active. He walks with dozens of party colleagues through the streets of the city, surrounded by tents or posters printed to present him as a candidate.
Piedone’s “dowry”.
Cristian Popescu Piedone, candidate for Bucharest City Hall, is being prosecuted, being accused of abuse of office with obtaining improper benefits for himself or another, from 2022. DNA prosecutors claim that Piedone would have allowed an unlicensed company to collect sanitation fees increased by 25% compared to the price approved by the local council, although the sanitation company of the town hall had the exclusive right to provide the service in sector 5 of the Capital.
At the first hearing in this case, Cristian Popescu Piedone was picked up by prosecutors at Otopeni Airport, when he was preparing to leave the country.
He also has problems with the National Integrity Agency. ANI accuses the mayor of sector 5 of a conflict of interest, because he issued and signed a provision appointing his son-in-law to a position in the mayor’s office, a position from which he earned over 100,000 lei for two years.
Problems also at USR
The party led by Cătălin Drula, the Save Romania Union, also has problematic candidates. The last case that came to public attention is that of the mayor of sector 1, Clotilde Armand, who wants a new mandate.
“Prosecutors from the Prosecutor’s Office attached to the Bucharest District Court 1 completed the criminal investigation and ordered the prosecution of the defendant Armand Clotilde-Marie – Brigitte, the mayor of Bucharest District 1, for committing the crime of using the position to favor certain persons, provided for by Art. 301 para. (1) Penal Code”, says the Prosecutor’s Office attached to the District Court 1, claiming that he benefited from an extra 18,720 lei to the income from the town hall, without having the legal right to it.
The communication from the Prosecutor’s Office attached to the 1st District Court regarding the referral to court was given exactly on the day Armand submitted his candidacy for the new mandate.
And on the list of candidates for the European Parliament there are candidates who have problems with the law. This is the case of Vlad Voiculescu, former minister of health in the governments of Cioloș and Cîțu, prosecuted for abuse of office in the case of the acquisition of anti-COVID vaccines.
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Tags: Candidates Criminal Issues Fight June Elections Important Parties
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