Former Permanent Electoral Authority (AEP) head Ana Maria Patru was placed under pre-trial arrest on Wednesday evening, in the case in which she is charged with three counts of influence peddling and two money laundry offenses.
The magistrates of the Prahova Court accepted the proposal of the Ploiesti National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) prosecutors and ordered the issue of a pre-trial arrest warrant on the name of Ana Maria Patru.
The ruling issued by Prahova Court is not final.
The prosecutors showed that case evidence reveals that the arrest measure is necessary for the good conduct of the criminal trial and for the prevention of other offenses, as the defendant, given that until the other day she served as Permanent Electoral Authority head, might influence the criminal investigation by suggesting the witnesses' testimonies, so much the more that there are indications that the defendant would have tried to hide material evidence, the DNA pointed out in a release.
According to the DNA, in the period April-June 2008 the suspect Ana Maria Patru, in her capacity as AEP Vice President, claimed and in 2009 received from the representatives of a company, the amount of 210,000 euros, representing the value of a Bucharest flat.
The investigators say that in exchange for receiving this asset, Patru promised that she will endorse the company to smoothly carry on a contract concluded between the respective company and the AEP. She promised as well that she will help the company win and unfold further contracts, a fact that actually happened.
"In 2009 the suspect Ana Maria Patru concealed the source of the amount of 210,000 euros, by using a fake financial circuit consisting of commercial operations between several companies, among which the company that benefited from the contract with the AEP and a company controlled by Ana Maria Patru through her husband," the DNA reveals.
Furthermore, in the same quality, Ana Maria Patru claimed in 2011 from the representatives of the same company the value of a Land Rover, of which she obtained the amount of 15,000 euros, the prosecutors say.
According to the quoted source, in exchange, Patru promised to endorse the company carry out several service contracts with the AEP, but that she will also support the company to carry out future contracts, which also happened.
"In 2011, while she was AEP Vice President, suspect Patru Ana Maria claimed and received the amount of 50,000 euros from the manager of another company, making in exchange an intervention with the Economy Ministry so that the business man be received in audience, which happened shortly after Ana Maria Patru's intervention. With the money from the two previously described influence peddling offenses, she bought a Land Rover, and in order to conceal the identity of the actual owner and beneficiary of the acquired asset, the same year Patru Ana Maria registered the car on the name of another person," the DNA reveals.
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