Heavy weight politicians, prosecuted in forest retrocessions case

Viorel Hrebeciuc, Ilie Sarbu, Romsilva general manager charged with corruption offenses.

National Anti-corruption Directorate (DNA) began criminal proceedings against loud sound names of the Romanian political foreground in a king-size corruption file regarding the illegal retrocession of large areas of forestland in several Romanian counties. PSD Senator Ilie Sarbu, PM Victor Ponta’s father-in-law, PSD Deputy Viorel Hrebenciuc, who used to be the party “think box”, PSD Deputy Ioan Adam and Adam Craciunescu, general manager of the National Forests Administration Romsilva, they have all been prosecuted on Wednesday, for abuse of office, influence peddling, setting and supporting an organized criminal group. Anti-corruption prosecutors claim EUR 300 M damage in this case. More precisely, Ilie Sarbu and Viorel Hrebenciuc would allegedly convince Romsilva lawyers, who were opposing retrocessions, to accept the deals.

A judge from Brasov Court and two judges from Covasna Court were summoned for hearings, as well as Prince Paul and his wife, Princess Lia, judicial sources told Mediafax. Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM) has already given its consent for the three magistrates to be detained and placed under home arrest.

Paul and Lia are accused of seeking retrocession of a 30,000 hectares forestland in Brosteni, Botosani County, pretending to be the heirs of the Romanian Royal House patrimony. With this purpose in view, the couple tried to buy influence to determine magistrates giving a ruling in their favor. Their mansion in Brasov has been searched previously in the morning. Overall, investigators conducted 25 searches at several public institutions and companies HQs in Brasov, Bacau, Covasna and Bucharest. Com?ne?ti, Palanca, Br?tule?ti and Doftana are among localities where large forestland areas, about 90 thousands hectares of forestlands, have been illegally retroceded.

The name of another aristocrat figure, Elie Vlad Sturdza, descendant of nobleman Nicolae Ghica was mentioned in the prosecutors’ papers. Based on an illegal retrocession, Sturdza received over 43 thousands hectares forestland instead of 23 thousands hectares that he was entitled to.

According to the prosecutors’ tapping, Viorel Hrebenciuc allegedly told his party colleague Ioan Adam about the trial involving the retrocession of the 43,000 hectares: “We are at war with Romsilva. We are going to win 100%. I am going to clear up the mess 100 per cent. They are all going to like it. You’ll see”. Prosecutors said they have evidence that Hrebenciuc allegedly involved in this retrocession and would have turned to the Romsilva manager Adam Craciunescu to settle the matter. Hrebenciuc would have got to Craciunescu through Ilie Sarbu, who is said to have a great influence on Romsilva manager. PSD MP Ioan Adam was tapped saying that Hrebenciuc would have given his word to settle this matter down and make Romsilva “not to defend state forests anymore” and practically leave the justice take its course, “to split the money and that’s it”.

According to a survey released by the Court of Accounts, quoted by Digi 24, half of Romanian forests have been retroceded in the past 25 years, meaning over 3 million hectares. The same report shows that nearly 20 per cent of this area got to persons who were not entitled to get this land. Part of the forests owned by the state was cleared, causing a EUR 5 bln prejudice.