Iulian Hertanu

Romania's parliament on Wednesday rejected prosecutors' requests to allow the arrest of Sebastian Ghita, a wealthy businessman and lawmaker who has been indicted for creating an informal network of power that was used to "determine the appointment of several persons in important positions".

A total of 176 MPs rejected the request, while 107 MPs backed it.

Sebastian Ghita, 37, a wealthy businessman and lawmaker, on Wednesday was banned from leaving his hometown and from carrying out his duties as an MP as he is investigated for influence peddling, tax evasion, money laundering, complicity with embezzlement of EU funds and bribing voters.

Sebastian Ghita, Romanian businessman and MP / Photo: Nasul.tv

Prime Minister Victor Ponta accused the 'media lynching' of his mother and sister; he wrote on his social media page that the only reason was to hurt him politically.

Photo credit: (c) Angelo BREZOIANU / AGERPRES PHOTO

The High Court of Cassation and Justice (ICCJ) on Wednesday ruled the 30-day preventive arrest of Iulian Hertanu, Prime Minister Victor Ponta's brother-in-law, investigated by the National Anti-corruption Directorate (DNA) in a case concerning fraud in a contract funded from European funds.

Photo credit: (c) Silviu MATEI / AGERPRES PHOTO

Romanian anti-graft investigators on Wednesday charged Iulian Hertanu, the brother-in-law of Prime Minister Victor Ponta, together with other three businessmen with setting up an organized crime group that misappropriated EU funds from a development project.

The brother-in-law of Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta was detained by the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) on Tuesday on suspicions of corruption and defrauding EU funds.

Iulian Hertanu was detained along with two other businessmen after waiting for 17 hours at the DNA headquarters in Ploiesti, AGERPRES news agency reports.

Iulian Hertanu, Prime Minister Victor Ponta's brother-in-law, on Tuesday evening was taken into custody by the National Anti-corruption Directorate (DNA) prosecutors, alongside two other businessmen.

Photo credit: (c) SILVIU MATEI/AGERPRES STREAM

Prosecutors of the Ploiesti (north of Bucharest) office of the National Anticorruption Directorate placed MP Sebastian Ghita under judiciary control and launched a criminal investigation against him on charges of support to a criminal group involving Prime Minister Victor Ponta's brother-in-law Iulian Hertanu. Ghita announced the news himself upon leaving the DNA premises on Tuesday.

The Prime Minister's brother-in-law Iulian Hertanu is supposedly being investigated on suspicions of having colluded with others to set up a bid rigging ring that acted to illegally win the contract for the expansion of the Comarnic city sewerage network, judicial sources told AGERPRES on Tuesday.

Photo credit: (c) Cristian NISTOR / AGERPRES ARCHIVE