Oracle Romania director, eyed by anti-corruption investigation for bribe taking

The National Anti-corruption Directorate (DNA) has started criminal prosecution against Sorin Mîndruţescu, director of Oracle Romania. The manager is under judicial control on bail of EUR 500,000.

Sorin Mîndruţescu is charged with bribe taking (EUR 869,413) in eight cases during 2009-2013 from the representatives of an IT company in exchange of advantageous contracts.

DNA prosecutors have conducted several searches on Wednesday in a criminal file related to corruption crimes.

“Following hearings, prosecutors have started the criminal prosecution against defendant Mîndruţescu Sorin Mihai, Director-General of the Romanians subsidiary of an IT multinational company, under the charge of bribe taking in continued forms (8 deeds). A bail of EUR 500,000 has been settled,” reads a DNA press release.

The deadline to submit the bail is August 9, 2019.

According to prosecutors, Mîndruţescu would have pretended and then received the total sum of EUR 869,413, as bribe, from the representatives of a IT company (accredited partners of the multinational company) so that the general manager should give them advantageous prices for the products sold by the Romanian subsidiary of the multinational company and in order for the other companies to participate in the public tenders organised by various state companies or institutions, such as the National Trade Register Office (ONRC), the Agriculture and Rural Payments Agency (APIA), the National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF), Transelectrica National Energy Transport Company, the National Health Insurace Agency (CNSAS) and ROMATSA- the Romanian Air Traffic Services Administration.

The products sold by the multinational company in Romania were mainly IT licenses for the public institutions. The public tenders were organised by the state companies to purchase computing equipment, software components, accessories, products and applications needed for the implementation of some on-line services or of the projects to develop, extend or adjust the IT systems.

At the same time, the contracts referred to renewing and upgrading some software products or maintenance or technical support services, DNA also reported.

The total sum of EUR 869,413 was allegedly pretended and received by the Oracle Romania GM, as a bribe, during September 2009-November 2013. The money would have been received either in Mindrutescu’s personal bank accounts or in the accounts of other companies that he controlled.

Before hearings, Mindrutescu stated: “I don’t have anything to comment, I don’t know the charges. I think it’s a misunderstanding”.

Who is Sorin Mîndruţescu?

Sorin Mîndruţescu has been at the helm of Oracle Romania since 2003 and he is leading a team of 4,000 employees.

He joined the Oracle team in 2002, as sales manager for software applications on financial services. Mîndruţescu has coordinated several IT projects, such as the one to enforce IT strategies for the Romanian Commercial Bank- BCR – Erste Bank Austria.

During 2004-2008 he was sales director for the Southeastern Europe operations, coordinating 11 countries from SE Europe.

Previously, Sorin Mîndruţescu had worked at Bancorex and the Turkish-Romanian Bank, but he had been also part of the team of Bank Austria Creditanstaldt, the current UniCredit, as branch manager.

In September 2010, there were rumours that Mîndrutescu would have been proposed by the former Democrat Liberal Party (PDL) as Communications minister to replace Gabriel Sandu, who was to be reshuffled.