ROMANIA: Former PM Adrian Nastase: Indictment, Fabricated by Prosecutors

Two days after he was sent to trial for acts of corruption, the former Premier told a press conference that the files against him were “fabricated” and accused the prosecutors again of carrying out political orders.
“Any means are used to eliminate political rivals. Human rights are violated by the fabrication of files,” Nastase said yesterday during a press conference he called to express his opinion about his investigation by the National Anti-corruption Department (DNA).

Nastase was officially sent to court on Monday in the Zambaccian and Eurografica files, in which he faces charges related to corruption and obtaining undeserved advantages by using his influence while he was Prime Minister in the Social Democrats’ government, between 2000 and 2004.

His wife, Dana Nastase, a former state inspector for constructions, Irina Jianu and the administrator of Eurografica, Mihail Vasile, are also charged in the case. Nastase is charged with taking bribes and obtaining undeserved goods worth about EUR 3.7 M. He is also charged with giving bribes in a separate case, regarding the appointment of Ioan Melinescu as head of the National Office against Money Laundering in exchange for the destruction of a file on an illegal transaction allegedly made by Dana Nastase, prosecutors said.

Nastase reiterated yesterday his opinion that the investigation against him is abusive and is politically motivated. He accused prosecutors of following political orders and of being incapable.

“Facts were invented and attributed to me. People were made to believe that Nastase is guilty,” he said, adding that he believes the purpose of the investigation against him is to discredit him and humiliate him, ultimately pushing him away from the political scene. “Because I did not have trust in prosecutors, I chose not to defend myself at the DNA. I will bring all evidence in my favour in front of the court,” he said, adding that he has knowledge that his name is currently included in 19 files at the DNA.

The former Prime Minister alleged that the indictment against him, which has over 600 pages, was fabricated by prosecutors as to include “selected statements” from various people against him.

Nastase referred to the statement made by Ioan Paun, a former consul to Hong Kong, telling reporters that prosecutors included in the indictment only part of Paun’s statements.

His comments came as on Tuesday, prosecutors said all charges against Paun were dropped after he provided evidence against Nastase, according to Mediafax news agency.

Paun was initially investigated for complicity to forgery and to using forged documents through customs in the Zambaccian file.

According to investigators, Paun said that in August 2002, he accompanied Dana Nastase, who is charged with complicity to acts of corruption, and several of her friends for shopping in China. Paun said he was sent by Dana Nastase to the airport to pick up a sealed, black envelope from the pilot of a Tarom flight to China. The former consul said that he gave the envelope to Nastase’s wife and saw that the envelope contained several sheets of paper, which concealed USD 30 000.

Paun said that in October 2002 he received a similar envelope through the same means. This time, the envelope contained USD 90 000. He said that he received the following envelope in December 2002. The money was reportedly used to buy furniture and other goods from China for Nastase and his family.

In March this year, Paun told prosecutors that there still are goods he bought for Nastase in China and that he still has USD 120 000 from the money the former PM’s wife sent him for shopping.

Prosecutors also said that, following the search at Nastase’s residence in Bucharest’s Zambaccian Street, Paun identified various items and pieces of furniture.

On Tuesday, prosecutors also heard former Transports Minister Miron Mitrea, currently General Secretary in the Social-Democrat Party, in the Eurografica file.

Mitrea said that during the 2000 election campaign, the party already had a list of names of the people who would be part of the government in case they won the elections. “In 2004, however, there was no list of people who would be in the government. So there was room for any decisions made by Adrian Nastase, who wanted to concentrate the whole power in his hands,” Mitrea said. The PSD Secretary also underlined that he had no official role in the election campaign, he was asked to get involved by Nastase after it was found that the team set up by the former Prime Minister was “inefficient.”
by Alecs Iancu
Source: Nine o'Clock