Former finance minister placed under house arrest

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The Supreme Court’s magistrates decided on Thursday night to place former Finance minister Darius Valcov under house arrest after he had been under remand for 24 hours. However the ruling is not final, the anti-corruption prosecutors being expected to  challenge it.

Previously the ruling, Valcov has been staying for six hours in the court room, waiting for the verdict.

DNA: Ex-FinMin tried to destroy evidence

Romanian former Finance minister Darius Valcov asked his acquaintances to destroy evidence of the file in which is charged with influence peddling, the preventive arrest indictment reveals.

The details are comprised in the statements of the other defendants in this fail, meaning the businessmen who were dealing of the companies specially set up so that Darius Valcov could cash in the bribe money from businessman Theodor Berna.

The statements say that, as soon as he found out about the anti-corruption prosecutors’ investigation, Darius Valcov asked his acquaintances to destroy the hard disks and all the accounts of one of the companies used as a camouflage for the bribe.

At the same time, prosecutors say Valcov had asked a witness in this file – the Social Democrat MP in whose house the former FinMin was hiding money, paintings and gold bars-to destroy all bags and papers in which the money were deposited. The witness told prosecutors he had accomplished this task.

On the other hand, judicial sources told Agerpres that DNA prosecutors have found 90 more paintings that would belong to Valcov, following searches conducted in Bucharest and Olt county on Thursday.

Valcov’s lawyer, Lucia Furtuna said the former minister did not admit the influence peddling charge. She also pointed out that Valcov has never destroyed evidence, as anti-corruption prosecutors claim. In her opinion, mass media is spreading “all kind of scenarios” with denunciations and charges.

“Did you wonder where was the safe? Is there any proof clearly attesting that safe would have belonged to Mr. Valcov or that the safe’s content would have been his? Not yet,” the lawyer said.

Yet, late on Thursday, the anti-corruption investigators sent the Supreme Court the evidence in Valcov case, pointing out their charges are proved by denunciations which are confirmed by audio, photo and video recordings, operative trails, as well as tapping and documents such as contracts and statements of account.

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