Former MEP Adrian Severin, released on probation. The ruling is final

The Bucharest Court has admitted on Monday the release on probation request for former MEP Adrian Severin, sentenced in 2016 to 4 years in prison for bribe taking and influence peddling. The ruling is final.

On January 22, the District 5 Court admitted Adrian Severin’s release request, but prosecutors challenged the decision.

In January, former MEP Adrian Severin requested the Bucharest District 5 Court to be released on probation, arguing he has served his sentence with dignity and has not asked for compensatory days, although he has written several scientific works.

One of the reasons for the request is related on his health, Severin claiming he faces medical issues. Severin added he has worked while in prison, he taught foreign prisoners the Romanian language. “I believe the sentence has reached its targets,” Severin told the District 5 Court.

His lawyer, Alexandra Dogaru, claims Severin has hold conferences while in prison, has concluded a working contract, wrote scientific works, has written to the penitentiary magazine. “He had no conflicts and the Titu Maiorescu University wants to have him working.”

The prosecutors requested the demand to be rejected, as the papers do not reveal health problems. “He speaks about the trinomial DNA-SRI-ICCJ and does not regret his deeds,” the prosecutor said.

Adrian Severin, former MEP and foreign minister, was sentenced by the Supreme Court, in November 2016, to 4 years imprisonment for influence peddling and bribe taking.

Anti-corruption prosecutors say that during December 2010-March 2011, MEP Adrian Severin accepted the promise of the two persons to pay him EUR 100,000 annually in exchange for his tabling certain amendments in the specialist committees of the European Parliament.

Investigators say that, in exchange for the money, Severin allegedly accepted to veto several amendments that did not comply with the interests of the company reportedly represented by those two persons, who were actually undercover reporters working for the “Sunday Times”.

In July last year prosecutors extended investigation on Severin over complicity to money laundering in a file targeting an illegal offset case involving two of his advisors during his MEP term. Prosecutors also ordered the seizure of his accounts and on his salary.