The High Court of Cassation and Justice (ICCJ – Supreme Court) has sentenced on Tuesday former Tourism Minister Elena Udrea to six years and four months imprisonment in the ‘Bute Gala’ file. Rudel Obreja was sentenced to five years in prison. The sentences are final.
At the latest hearings on May 9, a prosecutor demanded the admission of the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) appeal and the increased sentences received in first court by Elena Udrea and former President of the Romanian Boxing Federation (FRB) Rudel Obeja, but also by the other defendants.
The investigators also demanded the conviction of former Economy Minister, Ion Ariton, acquitted by the court of law for the accusations of improper involvement in abuse of office and use of influence in order to obtain undue advantages.
On March 29, 2017, Elena Udrea was sentenced to six years imprisonment with execution in the ‘Bute Gala’ file for bribery and abuse of office.
The court also ruled that Elena Udrea is to pay the amount of RON 8,116,800 as civil damages to the National Tourism Authority. Rudel Obreja is to pay RON 737,507 to the Finance Ministry as civil damages, plus interest and penalties.
Udrea’s lawyer says sentence unjust and illegal
Elena Udrea’s lawyer, Veronel Radulescu, said after the ruling that the sentence is ‘unjust’ and ‘illegal’.
“All remedies provided by the law will be used,” he added, mentioning it is about extraordinary remedies, such as review of the decision.
Asked if Elena Udrea would return to the country, the lawyer said this is a “personal matter” he does not want to comment.
Udrea sells shares worth EUR 500,000 before the sentence
Elena Udrea has withdrawn from the Tim Rail Cargo shareholding, a private railway operator, profit.ro, quoted by digi24.ro, informs. The former minister held 25% of the shares.
Udrea allegedly sold all her shares to Valeriu Trica, the former Director General of CFR SA (Romanian Railways – our note). She has thus collected EUR 500,000 and has also requested to get the credit repayment of RON 526,733 and EUR 60,000 previously granted to the company.
Valeriu Trica now owns 50% of the Tim Rail Cargo shares, the same source informs.
Former President Traian Basescu: She can still ask for sentence review
Former President, Traian Basescu, currently PMP leader, said he received the news with regret and has recommended Udrea to ask for the sentence review.
“I received the news with great regret, as I am convinced this woman did not receive the bag full with money and she made no abuse of office, because there is no signature on a procurement document or something,” Basescu said.
He added: “I believe there is the review of the sentence, she must put all documents in order, to call the lawyers and tell them to ask for the sentence review.”
The former President said he is the one who wanted the ‘Bute Gala’ to be organised.
“It was a Government decision. I am sorry, I wanted the Bute Gala organised. I wasn’t among those saying that world champion Bute should not fight in Romania. We had the positive opinion of the Justice Minister,” Traian Basescu said.
“I recommend her to defend. It’s up to her to decide what to do. I’ve talked to her. Her state is not good, I know how it is from my brother, I know how he felt when he was sentenced,” the former President said.
Who is Elena Udrea?
Former Tourism Minister Elena Udrea, investigated in Romania for corruption, currently in Costa Rica, announced in late March she has miscarried one of her twins. Udrea announced in mid-February she was pregnant with twins.
Elena Udrea, former Development and Tourism Minister in the Emil Boc cabinet, is prosecuted in several files, and is in Costa Rica, living in the same neighbourhood with the former National Directorate for Combating Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) head, Alina Bica, also prosecuted in some corruption files, who left Romania for Costa Rica at the end of last year.
Udrea began her political activity in 2002 as a legal adviser to the Social-Democratic Party (PSD). She joined the National Liberal Party (PNL) that year, becoming a Bucharest city councillor in June 2004, during the period of the Justice and Truth Alliance. She held that office until the following February, and during that time was president of the council’s committee on law and discipline. In October 2005 she resigned from the PNL, joining the Democratic Party in February 2006. In December, she was elected the party’s executive secretary, becoming a vice-president of the PD-L a year later. In these capacities, she promoted the party and spoke approvingly of the president, for instance ahead of the 2008 local election.
From February to November 2005, while away from her law practice, Udrea was a state counsellor and head of the Presidential Chancellery under President Traian Băsescu.
In 2008 she was sworn in as Tourism Minister.