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Deputies approved the arrest of former minister Elena Udrea, MP
The Chamber of Deputies approved the arrest of former minister Elena Udrea, MP in several secret votes late on Monday night.
Six requests of the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) concerning Udrea passed the plenum vote - three approvals of criminal investigations and the corresponding permissions to take her into custody.
One of the cases involving Udrea is the so-called 'Microsoft file' on the public acquisition of software licenses. She is also charged of one count of accepting bribery in the 'Bute Gala', a boxing event.
Finally, DNA had asked to replace Udrea's release under judiciary control, decided on January 29, with the preventive arrest, also in the Microsoft case.
'There are six items regarding Mrs. Udrea. The first item regards the commencement of a criminal investigation in relation to the Bute Gala box bout; the second one regards extending criminal investigation into bribe taking in the same case; the third regards a request for detention in the same case; the fourth item regards the commencement of a criminal investigation of Udrea in the Microsoft case; the fifth is the apprehension and detention of Udrea in relation to the Microsoft case, while the sixth regards replacing judiciary control with preventive detention in the Microsoft case, Secretary of the Chamber of Deputies Niculae Mircovici said Monday at the end of a meeting of the Chamber's Standing Bureau.
Traian Basescu: Elena Udrea notified me of ANRP irregularities
Former President Traian Basescu stated that Elena Udrea had notified him of the irregularities happening at the National Authority for Property Restitution (ANRP) and that he assumed the task of informing structures able to collect information and evidence.
"Informing the president is broad. (...) The problem is if he remains captive to the information from the [intelligence] services or uses the solutions that I have used, to perceive signals and distribute them to the institutions he is in relations with. (...) Among those who have notified grave problems at the ANRP was Elena Udrea, so I confirm that she did that. She only had the information of those who came to notify her, interested persons, or from discussions with MPs. The person who assumed transmitting to structures that gather information and evidence was me", said on Sunday Traian Basescu, after participating in the People's Movement Party congress.
He showed that he was informed not only by Elena Udrea regarding the ANRP irregularities, but knew of them from other sources as well.
"Mrs. Udrea's statement — that she informed me of the irregularities at the National Authority for Property Restitution — is correct. But the President is also connected to other sources of information, such as the press summary of each morning in which the elements declared within an institution as priorities are underscored: corruption, economic fraud, etc.. Another extremely important source of information for the President is the Public Relations Department. (...) Periodically there is a summary of complaints done and you note that there are complaints regarding the way in which the restitution process is conducted. The connections to political people. Elena Udrea is not the only political person with which I was in contact and from which I received signals", said Traian Basescu.
He added that the result of these complaints, among them Elena Udrea's, was that approximately six months after, the first indictment of an ANRP deputy chairman occurred.
Asked about Elena Udrea's statements regarding first deputy director of the Romanian Intelligence Service Florian Coldea, Traian Basescu stated: "She told me, but the President has no way to verify. The only institution that can legally control the information services is the Parliament".
He also said that deputy Elena Udrea had the "gentleness" to not participate in the People's Movement Party (PMP) Congress and that he hopes she confirms once again that she is "an honest person".
He added that he wants to be a partner for the PMP, that he offers them his experience, but that he will not lead them, the party will be led by those who will be elected on Sunday by the Congress.