Romanian Anticorruption Prosecutors Search Newsrooms Of Arges Ftbl Club Owner’s Paper, TV Network

Searches started Wednesday morning in the newsroom of Top daily, where activity was halted and the management allowed investigators to check computers and documents.

TV network Arges TV general manager Alin Sufariu said prosecutors will also search the television’s newsroom.

Also Wednesday, the local court tries Penescu’s request to be released on bail. On Tuesday, the court set bail at 200,000 (EUR1=RON4.1811).

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 Appeals allowed the action, thus the defendants remained under arrest for at least 30 days.