Romanian prime minister to face corruption trial

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Romanian prime minister to face corruption trial

Date September 18, 2015 - 11:50AM
Kit Gillett

Romanian Premier Victor Ponta surrounded by media as he leaves the national anti-corruption prosecutors office in Bucharest in July. Photo: AP

Bucharest: Prime Minister Victor Ponta of Romania has been formally indicted, a first for a sitting prime minister here, and will face corruption charges in Romania's top court.

Ponta is accused of forgery, money laundering and being an accessory to tax evasion dating from 2007 to 2008, when he was working as a lawyer, charges he strenuously denies.

Ponta, who has been prime minister since 2012, stepped down as leader of the Social Democrat Party in July, but has refused to resign as prime minister despite strong pressure from opposition parties and the country's president, Klaus Iohannis.

"In my view, the situation is more and more problematic for the prime minister, for the government and for the Social Democrat Party," Mr Iohannis told reporters, suggesting that the situation was harming Romania's image abroad.

Ponta has been struggling since losing a presidential election last November, but has so far retained the support of his majority coalition. In June, he survived a no-confidence vote in Parliament, as well as attempts to lift his parliamentary immunity so that prosecutors could investigate acts of his while in office.

He said that he intends to continue to serve until the next parliamentary elections, in December 2016.

On his Facebook page on Thursday, he wrote: "The IMF says Romania will overtake the economies of several European countries within three years! I strongly believe that this is achievable through the work of Romanians and effective governance," adding, "the only problem of the country is the obsession of a totally unprofessional prosecutor trying to make a name by inventing and imagining facts and untrue situations from 10 years ago!"

Ponta will remain free while on trial. Four other people have also been indicted in the case.

New York Times