Mayor Catalin Chereches, sentenced to five years in prison for corruption, has been tracked down and detained by the Bavarian State Police in Augsburg, Germany, the Romanian Police informs.
"On the evening of November 28, following international police cooperation and the exchange of data and information between the Romanian police and the authorities of Germany, Hungary, Austria and Italy, a 45-year-old man from Baia Mare, who is wanted internationally, was located, detected and detained by Bavarian and BKA police in Augsburg," the General Inspectorate of the Border Police (IGPR) said.
He was traced by foreign partners, based on information provided by the Romanian police.
Baia Mare mayor Catalin Chereches fled the country on Friday via the Petea border crossing point with Hungary, using the ID document of a relative carrying the same name.
The Cluj Court of Appeal rejected on November 24 the mayor's appeal and upheld the sentence handed down in February 2022 by the Cluj Court, modifying just a few provisions regarding the complementary punishment, i.e. increasing from 4 to 5 years the period during which Chereches is under several prohibitions (to be elected to a public authority or to any other public office, to hold a position that involves exercising state authority, to hold the office of mayor).