CSM takes note of retirement of Florica Duta, a judge in Dan Voiculescu case

The Supreme Council of Magistrates (CSM) on Wednesday took note of the request for retirement filed by Florica Duta, one of the Bucharest Court of Appeal judges in the case regarding the privatisation of the Food Research Institute (ICA), in which Dan Voiculescu is a defendant.

The CSM will submit to the Presidential Administration the documents for the retirement of the judge.

Duta's retirement will lead to a new postponement in the ICA case hearings of July 1, because the judge will have to be replaced.

Initially, the judge panel of the Bucharest Court of Appeal was made up of Florica Duta and Stan Mustata. In the meantime, Mustata was arrested on corruption charges and replaced by judge Luminita Cristiu-Ninu, which in her turn was replaced by judge Carmen Constanta Balaci.

All the replacements have led to repeated delays in the case.

Founding chairman of the Conservative Party (PC), minor at rule, Dan Voiculescu was sent to court in December 2008 by prosecutors of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA), as a majority shareholder in Voiculescu & Co Industrial Group (Grivco) SA Bucharest, as a member on the General Shareholders' Meeting and the Administration Board of ICA and member of the General Shareholders' Meeting and director general of Bioprod SA Bucharest. Voiculescu is standing accused of peddling influence to win ill-gotten money or assets as well as of money laundering.

AGERPRES