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Colonel Marian Corcodel, commander of the Gendarmerie's Management and Service Base, and his deputy, Daniel Iancu Preoteasa, were put on trial by DIICOT (Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism) prosecutors for activities of loan-shark activity, embezzlement and engineering of an organized criminal group.
In the same case, Chief Commissioner Octavian Cristescu, an employee of the General Directorate of Internal Protection of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, was sent to trial, being accused of providing Corcodel with protection, as well as Georgica Adrian Babanau, a petty officer of the gendarmes, who performed the role of driver of the colonel.
According to DIICOT release, since 2011, Colonel Marian Corcodel, commander of UM 0260 - Base of Administration and Service of the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Gendarmerie, using the influence he exerted on subordinates and unlawfully using the prerogatives of his office, formed an organized criminal group to which persons under his direct command joined, namely Daniel Iancu Preoteasa (chief of staff of the Gendarmerie Administration and Service Base) and Georgica Babanau (the colonel's driver), the purpose of the formation of this group being to commit repeated infractions of loan-shark activities and embezzlement.
"Beneficiaries" of interest loans were generally subordinated to Colonel Corcodel or persons in his relational circle, and the amounts borrowed were between several hundred euros and several thousand, sometimes even tens of thousand, the interest imposed being between 10 pct and 20 pct.
Often, the interest paid by the debtors was handed over to the defendants Daniel Preoteasa and Georgica Babanau or to persons who did not know the illicit source of the origin of the sums, who subsequently handed over the sums of money to Corcodel.
Prosecutors also charge Colonel Corcodel of repeatedly ordering subordinates to obtain important quantities of fuel (mainly Diesel) from the fuel station of the unit's fleet, fuel that was smuggled out of the unit and transported to other locations, from where it was handed over to him or other members of the group.
According to DIICOT, although the existence of this group, as well as the deeds committed by its members were also brought by several workers of the Gendarmerie to the knowledge of Octavian Cristescu, with the professional rank of Chief Commissioner, employee of the former Department of Intelligence and Internal Protection - currently the General Directorate of Internal Protection of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, having as professional obligations to report to the management of this structure and, at the same time, to refer the matter to the prosecution bodies, he has not fulfilled these obligations.
Moreover, Octavian Cristescu has consistently and conscientiously supported the criminal activities carried out by Colonel Corcodel, giving him both the necessary protection and advice in some situations.
Prosecutors say that Daniel Preoteasa was perceived as one of Colonel Corcodel's trusted men, who gave him unconditional support in any situation, benefiting in return from his chief's help in easy access to the ranks of the military hierarchy and functions within the Gendarmerie's Management and Service Base.
Colonel Corcodel rewarded Daniel Preoteasa for his services by facilitating his promotion to the rank of lieutenant colonel and his empowering as first deputy commander of the unit.
The defendant Georgica Babanau was another trusted person of Colonel Corcodel, who was a petty officer in the Romanian Gendarmerie, with the rank of sergeant Major, who performed both the duties of car driver of Commander Corcodel and of the secretariat clerk, at his office in the premises of the Gendarmerie Administration and Service Base.
Prosecutors argue that, at the time of its formation, the purpose of the grouping led by Colonel Corcodel was to commit some crimes of loan-shark activity, so that, from 2015 onwards, he would know a diversification of the scope of the area of concern by extending it in the direction of committing crimes of embezzlement, in continuous form, activity carried out between November 2015 and July 2017.
Prosecutors say that Marian Corcodel was detaining his subordinates' pay cards to get his money back. Moreover, Colonel Corcodel, proving a "bailiff" mentality, used the assets of the unit he was leading for his own benefit.
