Romanian Football Federation Pres, Officials, Subpoenaed In Corruption Case – Sources

According to legal sources, Sandu, subpoenaed for hearings in the football refereeing corruption case, allegedly requested a postponement of the hearing because he will not be in the country at the date set for the hearing.

Today, anticorruption prosecutors in southern Romanian city Pitesti will hear other officials in football, including FRF Committee for Appeal president Doru Viorel Ursu, FRF Committee for Appeal vice president Ion Cazacu and the president of the FRF Discipline Committee Daniel Cernat.

Also Wednesday, the former director of the Arges county Consumer Protection Office, Cristian Libertatu, placed under preventive arrest under charges of receiving bribe in the football refereeing corruption case, was brought before the Arges Court, which decided to release him on probation, but the decision may be appealed.

In the refereeing corruption trial, on April 14 anticorruption prosecutors arrested football club FC Arges financer Cornel Penescu, suspended Central Referee Committee president Gheorghe Constantin, PIC hypermarket general manager Liviu Facaleata, as well as the former director od the Arges County Consumer Protection Office, Cristian Libertatu. Cornel Penescu and Liviu Facaleata are charged with offering bribe, while Gheorghe Constantin and Cristian Libertatu are charged with taking bribe.

On May 11, the Arges Court decided to discontinue the arrest warrants, but anticorruption prosecutors appealed, and one day later the Pitesti Court of Appeal allowed the action, thus the defendants remained under arrest for at least 30 days.