Romanian Football Financer Penescu Arrested Over Flash Stick Marked “Kickback”

The Arges Court issued Thursday the explanation for the preventive arrest of FC Arges football club financer Arges Cornel Penescu, Central Referee Commission president Gheorghe Constantin, PIC store general manager Liviu Facaleaţa and former Arges consumer protection office manager Cristian Libertatu.

"A memory stick was found during the search performed at the PIC headquarters, in the office of Penescu Gheorghe Cornel, marked «kickback C.G.». Penescu Gheorghe Cornel gave defendant Constantin Gheorghe a large sum of money, in RON50 bills, in a white envelope," the court notes.

The court’s explanation reveals the National Anticorruption Department started investigating since September 2008 the fact that Penescu Cornel allegedly gave money to Central Referee Commission president Gheorghe Constantin to appoint certain referees who would favor FC Arges in championship matches. This involves six games in the 2008-2009 season, for which bribes of sums worth between $2,000 and $15,000, cumulating $33,000.