The High Court of Cassation and Justice on Thursday gave the first ruling in the Microsoft file, where high-sounding businessmen and former state officials are prosecuted.
Businessman Dumitru Nicolae was sentenced to one year and a half in prison with suspension, while former Communications minister Gabriel Sandu, businessman Dorin Cocos and ex-mayor Gheorghe Stefan have to serve prison time. Sandu got two years in jail, Cocos, two years and Stefan three years.
The Supreme Court’s sentence is not final.
While the sentences seem rather reduced compared to the gravity of the corruption deeds and to the volume of the case, the four defendants have to pay a total of almost EUR 10m as compensations.
Dorin Cocos, Elena Udrea’s former husband was sentenced for influence peddling and money laundering, the court ordering a seizure of over EUR 3 M in his case.
Gabriel Sandu, former Communications minister during December 2008-September 2010 has to spend two years in prison for bribe taking and money laundering, while having to pay over EUR 2 M.
Gheorghe Stefan, former mayor of Piatra Neamt, he got the highest sentence 3 years in jail for influence peddling. The court ordered that over EUR 3 M should be taken from him.
Niro group owner, Dumitru Nicolae escaped prison, for now, and he has to serve community service for the District 2 Public Domain Administration. He also has to pay EUR 1.5 M.
The four were indicted on March 23, last year.
In October last year, Dorin Cocos, Gabriel Sandu and Dumitru Nicolae admitted the deeds they are accused of in the ‘Microsoft file’ and this could be the reason that they benefitted from reduced sentences from the Supreme Court by a third, while George Stefan maintained he is innocent.
Prosecutors say that Dorin Cocos would have pretended and received EUR 9 M from Claudiu Florică and former tennis player Dinu Pescariu, so that, through the agency of his former wife Elena Udrea, who was the Tourism minister at that time and PDL vice-president, he should enable the companies supported by Florică to seal contracts regarding the Microsoft licences with the Communications ministry.
Investigators also claim that Dorin Cocos would have asked EUR 17.5 M for him, Gheorghe Stefand and Gabriel Sandu to help a certain company to get the licences contract.
DNA prosecuted nine ex-ministers in this high-sounding corruption case – senators Serban Mihailescu, Ecaterina Andronescu, MP Valerian Vreme, MEP Dan Nica, Daniel Funeriu, Alexandru Athanasaiu, Mihai Tanasescu, Gabriel Sandu and Adriana Ticau. Prosecutors say that Government top officials, ministers and representatives of the companies involved in the Microsoft licence project would have claimed USD 20 M out of USD 54 M paid by the Government for the project aimed at buying Microsoft licenses in schools.