Romanian County Council president, taken into custody by the Anticorruption prosecutors for alleged abuse of official capacity

Yesterday, Romanian prosecutors have taken into custody the president of the Constanta County Council, Nicusor Constantinescu, who is accused of abuse of official capacity. He was taken yesterday by the prosecutors of the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA), who are investigating how several payments of public money were approved and carried out.

Constantinescu is member of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) since 2000, when he won a position in the Local Council in Constanta. In 2004, he became the president of the County Council and got reelected in 2008 and in 2012. PSD is part of the Social Liberal Union (USL), the government coalition.

After being questioned by prosecutors, Constantinescu declared the National Anticorruption Directorate should be closed down, as prosecutors ‘do whatever they want in Romania’.

“Why am I being treated like an animal? I was assaulted. They do what they want in Romania, it doesn’t matter that the USL is governing. The DNA should be closed down. They took me out of the parking like I was a thief, like an animal […] Every time I got a legal citation, I arrived with my lawyer, and won every trial,” said Constantinescu, quoted by Mediafax upon exiting the DNA headquarters.

He also accused DNA of being a ‘political militia’ and said he was not guilty of anything. He said the activity of the County Council is monitored by the prefect and if any of the council decisions are illegal, the prefect appeals them. “Why should the DNA check the activity of the county council?”, added Constantinescu.

Constantinescu is prohibited to leave the country for 30 days, while the investigation is ongoing.