Former District 4 mayor Cristian Popescu Piedone was indicted in the Colectiv file, with 90 people asking for compensations ranging from EUR 30,000 to EUR 2 million, with a total mountaing to almost EUR 30 million.
The National Anti-corruption Directorate (DNA) sent Piedone’s file in court for two charges of abuse of office that caused prejudices to physical persons and to the District 4. Next to Piedone, three other former employees of the district 4 city hall have been indicted for abuse of office.
More precisely, they are accused of releasing the operating permit for the Colectiv nightclub although the venue had no fire safety authorization. Piedone, as District 4 mayor, would have broken the law by releasing the working permit in January 14, 2015.
During November 2015-April 2016, 90 people filed complaints regarding the Colectiv deadly fire that killed 64 youngsters. 27 persons were injured in the blaze, while the other 63 are relatives of those who died. They are asking for compensations ranging from EUR 30,000 to EUR 2 million.
DNA has seized the goods of the mayor and the other three public servants. The file is to be on trial at the Bucharest Tribunal.
Cristian Popescu Piedone was arrested several days after the Colectiv fire, on November 7 and stayed behind bars for one week. By mid-December, DNA decided that the former mayor must pay a bail of RON 1.5 million and on December 29, 2015 he filed a property and vintage vehicles as collaterals. However, Bucharest Court has decided on January 8 to repeal the judicial control on bail adopted by the anticorruption prosecutors for the former District 4 mayor.