Archbishop Teodosie was sued by the DNA for buying influence after the Recorder’s investigation of budget funds

The National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) on Wednesday sued Teodosie Petrescu, archbishop of Tomis, for committing the crime of buying influence. The file was opened last year by the DNA following a Recorder investigation. Along with Teodosie, a councilor from the Archdiocese of Tomis, Ilie Petre, was also sent to court.

At the time of the opening of the criminal case, the Romanian Patriarchate, through its spokesperson Vasile Bănescu, stated that both judicial and church authorities are interested in elucidating any case of real corruption, and combating this societal scourge is primarily a moral duty.

“Judicial authorities, like church authorities, are naturally interested in elucidating any case of real corruption. Sanctioning and combating this societal scourge, which can also affect the Church, is primarily a moral duty. One whose fulfillment honors and whose non-fulfillment dishonours. Civil law and moral law are given to be respected for the good of the community, including ecclesiastical ones,” the Patriarchate said.

According to DNA prosecutors, in July 2023, “the suspect Petrescu Teodosie, in the capacity mentioned above, allegedly promised the sum of 160,000 lei to a businessman (the witness in question), representing a percentage of 20% of the sum of 800,000 lei, which the latter should have obtained it for the Archdiocese of Tomis, following the use of the influence he claimed to have had on the officials with decision-making rights in this regard within the State Secretariat for Cults”.

The amount of 800,000 lei was supposed to be used to finance some construction works or rehabilitation of the cult units under the Tomis Archdiocese.

The DNA press release:

In the case publicized by press release no. 1128/VIII/3 of December 5, 2023, the prosecutors from the National Anticorruption Directorate – Constanța Territorial Service ordered the defendants to be sent to court, in a state of freedom:

PETRESCU THEODOSIEarchbishop of Tomis (public official within the meaning of the criminal law), for committing the crime of buying influence,

P.Icouncilor within the Archdiocese of Tomis, for committing the crime of complicity in buying influence.

In the drawn up indictment, the prosecutors retained, in essence, the following state of facts:

In July of 2023, the defendant Petrescu Teodosie, in the capacity mentioned above, allegedly promised a businessman (the witness in question) the sum of 160,000 lei, representing a percentage of 20% of the sum of 800,000 lei, which he then he should have obtained it for the Archdiocese of Tomis, following the use of the influence he claimed to have had on the officials with decision-making rights in this matter within the State Secretariat for Cults. The amount of 800,000 lei was supposed to be used to finance some construction works or rehabilitation of the cult units under the Tomis Archdiocese.

In the context mentioned above, the defendant PI would have communicated to the businessman the way in which he was going to get possession of the promised money (160,000 lei), respectively through the conclusion by the Archdiocese of Tomis with the witness company of a fictitious consulting contract.

The file was sent for trial to the Constanța Court of Appeal.

We make it clear that this stage of the criminal process represents, according to the Code of Criminal Procedure, the completion of the criminal investigation and the sending of the indictment to the court for trial, a situation that cannot defeat the principle of the presumption of innocence.

We note that this communication was drawn up in accordance with art. 28 para. 4 of the Good Practice Guide regarding the relationship between the judicial system and mass media, approved by the Plenary Decision of the Superior Council of the Magistracy no. 197/2019.

Context

Recorder journalists published, on November 21, 2023, a documentary filmed with a hidden camera by a former priest posing as a businessman. In the images filmed with the hidden camera, the fake businessman proposes to His Holiness Teodosie, the Archbishop of Tomis, to bring the amount of 800,000 lei from the State Secretariat for Religions (SSC) to the archdiocese, in exchange for a commission of 20% of the amount for him. In the images, Teodosie appears accepting the deal and saying “it’s a godsend for us”. Teodosie puts the fake businessman in touch with his adviser to discuss the details, including how this 20% commission can be paid. Details here.