Businessman Horia Simu (photo) on Tuesday accused that a former presidential adviser is the “moral author” of the latest criminal file related to the illegal retrocessions of the National Authority for Property Restitution (ANRP). Simu has been recently indicted in this file. During hearing at the Supreme Court on Tuesday he said that former presidential aide Daniel Moldoveanu was the wire puller in this file, claiming that the former adviser had received 25% of the total of EUR 7 million obtained by Simu following the retrocession of a plot of land in Constanta.
“Mr. Moldoveanu came to me saying that he can solve these files, as he knew Crinuta Dumitrean, former ANRP head. At that moment I owned the litigant rights. It’s not fair that the moral auhors of this file are covered. Daniel Moldoveanu is the moral author of this case and the fact that he is not present in this file is not fair. He has got 25% of the EUR 7 million (…),” Horia Simu said.
The anti-corruption prosecutors also say that former high-ranking officials from the Environment Ministry, the Presidential Administration and the State Protocol Administration (RA-APPS) would have helped Simu obtain the illegal compensations.
Prosecutors also say that Horia Simu tried to hide the illegal origin of the money by purchasing a house in France.
“Part of the money cashed in were laundered and used for personal benefits by defendant Horia Simu. One of the main acquisitions was a house worth about EUR 3.4 million, which was mortgaged to obtain a loan to buy another building in southern France,” reads the indictment.
Businessman Horia Simu was indicted on Friday next to other nine people for alleged corruption crimes related to the illegal compensations given for a plot of land in Constanta city. The prejudice mounts to over EUR 7.7 M.
Anti-corruption prosecutors explain that after buying the litigant rights for this plot of land for EUR 700,000, Horia Simu resorted to high-ranking officials at the ANRP helm to quickly obtain the compensations, with the final price of the house being rated for about EUR 7.7 M.
Former president Basescu retorts
Daniel Moldoveanu was presidential adviser of the former Traian Basescu administration. Former president Traian Basescu retorted to Simu’s accusations saying that the debate is about one single person and not about the entire Presidential Administration”.
“I see there is a public debate regarding the involvement of the Presidential Administration’s and a former presidential adviser during my term in corruption deeds related to the ANRP retrocessions. I totally reject this type of approach! Horia Simu and DNA press release clearly show that it’s about one person and not about the entire Presidential Administration. More precisely, it’s about Daniel Moldoveanu, who was not presidential adviser but state councillor serving as head of the National Information Community…”, Basescu commented on Facebook.