Ion Rădoi, the leader of the metro trade union, would collect taxes of up to 200,000 euros for subleasing the underground commercial premises. It is one of the accusations brought against him by DNA prosecutors, according to G4Media.
Ion Rădoi and his partner were placed under judicial control in a case after the Ministry of Transport complained that, in the last 3 years, the union has illegally collected rents for kiosks in the subway stations.
Prosecutors claim in the indictment of the union leader from the Metro that Ion Rădoi charged taxes between 5,000 and 200,000 euros to sub-lease the commercial spaces from the metro, although the agreement, which however expired, between the union company and Metrorex does not allowed this. According to G4Media, the file contains the transcript of a telephone conversation between Ion Rădoi and Cristian Popescu Piedone, the mayor of Sector 5.
“Cristian Popescu Piedone: After you come back, will you give me half a station at Izvor?
Ion Rădoi: I’ll give you half a whole station!”
The discussion is initiated by the trade union leader, who calls the mayor from his partner’s phone.
On the day when the prosecutors went down to the union’s headquarters, the investigators conducted searches at the District 5 and District 3 City Halls as well. Subway kiosks were not demolished in these two districts.
The leader of the subway employees’ union is being investigated under judicial control by prosecutors for illegal use of influence and blackmail. Investigators say they organized the March underground protest, which blocked the subway, to persuade Transport and Metrorex not to dismantle the commercial premises in the tube stations.
Ion Rădoi’s defense challenged the judicial control, and the Bucharest Court judges the request on Thursday.