Victor Ponta’s brother in law under remand. MP Sebastian Ghita, placed under judicial control

Iulian Her?anu, PM Victor Ponta’s brother in law, has been placed under remand on Wednesday, after being heard by DNA Ploiesti for hours on Tuesday.

DNA prosecutors carried 14 searches on Tuesday morning in Bucharest and Ploiesti, at the premises of several companies, including the one owned by PM Victor Ponta’s sister and brother in law Iulian Hertanu and at their home in a file regarding EU funds defrauding.

Iulian Hertanu was brought by warrant to DNA Ploiesti for hearings.

The searches conducted by the National Anti-corruption Directorate (DNA) on Tuesday target company Exfin SRL, belonging to Prime Minister Victor Ponta’s mother and sister, sources from the judiciary told Agerpres.

The quoted sources mention that the case involves a European construction project, and the crimes committed refer to defrauding 54 percent of the issued funds, money misappropriated for own interests, and to tax evasion practices.

According to the source, the value of the damages reaches RON 7,800,000, with the tax evasion damages reaching RON 2,500,000. The case regards sewerage networks, the sources add.

A firm of Julian Hertanu, along with several companies, including Euroconstruct Trading, allegedly illegally obtained a European project on the extension of the sewerage network in Comarnic, from which he appropriated large sums of money, by changing the destination of the funds, judicial sources said.

The sources, citing documents from the investigators, said for Mediafax that in the file is also targeted the company SC Grossman Engineering Group Ltd, one of the companies with which Julian Cristian Hertanu, brother of Prime Minister Victor Ponta is director of law and, since April 25, 2014, manager, being also an employee of SC CVR Asfalt Construct Group SRL Dobroe?ti, Ilfov County.

According to the quoted sources, Iulian Hertanu, together with Vladimir Razvan Ciorba, associate and administrator with SC CVR Asfalt Group Construct SRL, SC CVR Activities Group SRL Bucharest and SC Gefam Pro SRL Dobroe?ti, as well as with Mihail Marian Coman, associate and administrator with SC Indserv SRL Ploiesti and SC Indserv Proiect SRL Ploiesti and employee of SC Hidro Prahova SA in the position of advisor to the Director general, have set up from May 24, 2012 “a criminal group to act in order to gain fraudulent works for ‘extension of sewerage network in the city Comarnic.’”

MP Sebastian Ghita, placed under judicial control

MP Sebastian Ghita, also owner of Romania TV, said on Tuesday while leaving the DNA Ploiesti offices, that he had been placed under judicial control by prosecutors, against him being opened the criminal investigation on charges that he allegedly had supported the criminal group that included Julian Hertanu, brother in law of Prime Minister Victor Ponta.

MP Sebastian Ghita was brought by warrant on Tuesday to DNA Ploiesti, as suspect in the same file which concerns Iulian Hertanu, brother in law of Prime Minister Ponta. “I came to DNA after have I received a summoning paper,” said Sebastian Ghita, when arriving to the DNA Ploiesti offices around 11.50.

Answering a question, Ghita said he has the status of suspect in this case.

Asked about the contract for Comarnic, Ghita said: “We all know that works there did not work as it should, that is stagnating, and the company failed to perform and to finish the public works. I do not know many other details.”

Asked if he was involved in this contract, the MP said no. “I know the man (Iulian Hertanu) and prosecutors probably want to know what relations I have with him.”

Asked if he is a friend of Hertanu, MP Sebastian Ghita said he knows him, he saw him “a few times on different occasions” but he doesn’t have a very close relationship with him.

Under judicial control has been placed also Mircea Cosma, the Prahova County Council President for supporting the criminal group, accusation he rejects.

PM Ponta: I have no knowledge of, would be wrong to comment on investigations regarding my brother-in-law

Prime Minister Victor Ponta said on Tuesday, on Twitter, that he has no knowledge of the investigations regarding his brother-in-law and does not wish to comment upon them.

“I do not know and it would be wrong for me to comment on the investigations done by prosecutors regarding my brother-in-law. The law should be equal for all”, said Ponta on Twitter.