A Romanian court sentenced a former minister and the daughter of ex-President Traian Basescu to prison for money laundering in connection with the former president’s electoral campaign.
The Bucharest Court of Appeal handed Elena Udrea, former tourism minister, an eight-year sentence and Ioana Basescu, a public notary, a five-year sentence on Tuesday over the financing of Mr Basescu’s 2009 campaign. The ruling can be appealed.
Both deny wrongdoing. Ms Udrea reacted angrily and wished a curse on the judge’s children.
Journalist Dan Andronic who owns the daily Evenimentul Zilei was acquitted of perjury.
The court also ordered that about 1.6 million lei be confiscated from the former tourism minister. Ioana Bascesu was ordered to pay 110,000 lei. Both were both ordered to pay court costs.
Ms Udrea denies the charges. She said she was shocked by the sentence and called it unfair.
”I curse (the judge) and may her children feel what my child feels,” she told Antena 3.
Ms Udrea was one of the most powerful politicians in Romania due to her close ties to Mr. Basescu who was president from 2004 to 2014.
The court handed former regional official, Victor Tarhon, a four-year sentence for bribery, and a former tourism ministry official received a six-year sentence,
The Anti-Corruption Directorate sent the former minister to trial in 2017 on charges of bribery, money laundering, and the officials on charges of bribery.
Prosecutors said the former minister was the unofficial chief of Mr. Basescu’s campaign, which they allege was financed with money obtained through embezzlement and money laundering.
The president’s elder daughter was charged with instigation to fraud and money laundering.
Prosecutors said that during the 2009 re-election campaign, money was raised from corruption, tax evasion which was used for to pay services during the electoral campaign.
