Ex-MEP Severin prosecuted for complicity to money laundering. Distraint upon his accounts

Former MEP Adrian Severin was informed on Tuesday that investigation were extended on him over complicity to money laundering in a file targeting an illegal offset case involving two of his advisors during his MEP term. Severin said prosecutors ordered distraint on his accounts and on his salary.

The case is related to a study on relations between NATO and EU conducted by Romanian experts. Prosecutors says that during March 2007-November 2010 Adrian Severin concluded 20 consultancy contracts, on his behalf or as representative of the political group that he belonged to in the European Parliament, with several companies especially set up to justify these fictional contract for services, consisting of studies’ drafting.

During the same period, two of Severin’s advisers, Anne Rose Marie Juganaru and Leontin Abraham acted in the view of dissimulating the illegal origin of the money derived from fraudulent expense accounts from the European Parliament’s budget. More precisely, RON 586, 350 have been gradually transferred to a foundation by signing fictional contracts related to staff training.

Adrian Severin said the money has never got to him and that they were discounted from the EP budget based on legal documents.

Apparently this new case relates to the previous one targeting the former Social Democrat MEP.

On September 11, 2013, Severin was sent to court under the charge of bribery and influence peddling after he would have agreed to receive EUR 100,000 in exchange of his endorsing and tabling amendments in EP special committees in the benefit of some alleged companies. The case is tried by the magistrates within the High Court of Cassation and Justice (Romanian Supreme Court).