Archbishop of Tomis Teodosie acquitted in first court in the Nazarcea file

Archbishop of Tomis, Teodosie, has been acquitted in first court in the Nazarcea file, according to the ruling by Constanta Court of Appeal today. The ruling is not final and can be challenged in 10 days.

Teodosie was charged with false testimony in relation with the Agency for Payments and Intervention in Agriculture (APIA). The court has also ruled that the other five defendants in the file should also be acquitted, while the civil action filed by APIA remains unsolved.

At the same time, magistrates have unfrozen the seizure on Teodosie’s accounts.

After hearing the sentence, Tomis Archdiocese has said in a press release that “the celebration of Ascension Day is bringing to all the joy of the ascension of a fair justice”, voicing hope that the High Court is maintaining the Constanta court’s ruling as well.

“In essence, it was proved that all God’s servants and the other defendants had been unjustly dragged into a lawsuit. We are not blaming anyone for this, but we pray to God and we forgive those who saw crimes where it is not the case. The Tomis Archdiocese thanks to the Court of Appeal for serving a fair justice and did not let itself influenced by external pressures. We have confidence that the High Court will maintain this acquittal sentence of all those in the file“, the press release further reads.

Archbishop of Tomis, Teodosie Petrescu, has been sent for trial by the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) Constanţa for misleading the judicial bodies, false testimony and abuse of office in continued form in March 2018.

Archbishop Teodosie is accused that, along with others, used fake documents to the Agency for Payments and Intervention in Agriculture (A.P.I.A.) in order to receive European funds for agricultural crops in Nazarcea wine-growing region in Dobruja.

Archbishop Teodosie is the first prelate in Romania indicted by DNA.