Elena Udrea (photo 1), former Development and Tourism Minister in the Emil Boc cabinet, prosecuted in several files, is reportedly in Costa Rica, living in the same neighbourhood with the former National Directorate for Comating Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) head, Alina Bica (photo 2), also prosecuted, who has arrived there last month, antena3.ro informs, quoting a Rise Project report.
The source informs that Udrea arrived in Costa Rica on February 7, on the International Airport San Juan, from Athens, where she was admitted to a fertility clinic.
“As long as I am a free citizen, even of a country which does not observe freedom and citizens’ rights, I am free to leave. I haven’t run away because I had no reason, nothing prevented me from travelling, I can go wherever I want to and return after I conclude my visit, holiday, etc.” Udrea wrote on her Facebook page.
Rise Project has released a document proving that Alina Bica has joined business with people sentenced or prosecuted in Romania for fraud and corruption. Bica’s husband is also in Costa Rica, where he allegedly has opened an import-export firm with agricultural products and on animal breeding.
One of the shareholders is reportedly Călin Silviu Pop, who received in 2013 , two years imprisonment suspended sentence, for tax evasion and conducting mining works without license. Pop is also prosecuted in the corruption file on former Brasov amayor, George Scripcaru. Rise project claims Pop and Mircea Bica are supported by Mihai Radulescu, another controversial character.
Alexandru Chiciu, Elena Udrea’s lawyer, said last week that the former minister was in Athens. “Mrs. Udrea has filed some documents in court proving she cannot appear before judges for a certain period of time. Last night she confirmed to me she is in Athens,” said Udrea’s defender.
Former Minister Elena Udrea was ruled out of the judicial control and was allowed to leave the country, according to a final decision by the High Court for Cassation and Justice (ICCJ – Supreme Court) in late October 2017, in the file in which she is investigated along with Ioana Basescu, the last one in which she had a preventive measure.
In regard to Alina Bica, the former DIICOT chief was not banned to leave Romania. Alina Bica has been convicted in two criminal files, but the rulings are not final.
Thus, in November 2016, she was sentenced by the Supreme Court to four years in prison with execution for committing the crime of favouring the perpetrator. In the same file, former Minister Adriean Videanu was acquitted for complicity to abuse of office.
Adriean Videanu, Dorin Cocos, Alin Cocos, Alina Bica and her former adviser Florentin Mihailescu were arrested on January 31, 2015 following the ICCJ decision. The decision was made in Alina Bica’s disjoint case of unlawful compensation from ANRP (Agency for Property Restitution).
Also, in January 2017, Alina Bica was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months imprisonment with execution for committing the crime of favouring the perpetrator, in connection with interventions to close a file involving businessman Horia Simu.