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Former PM Adrian Nastase was released from prison
Former Prime Minister Adrian Nastase was released from prison, following a final ruling of the Ilfov Tribunal issued on Thursday.
The court rejected an appeal made by the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) and upheld the decision to release the former prime minister issued by Bucharest's Sector 4 courthouse. The Tribunal's decision will be forwarded to Jilava Penitentiary, Nastase to be released later on Thursday.
During the court proceedings, the DNA prosecutor admitted the fact that Adrian Nastase was well-behaved during his time in the penitentiary, adding that, however, there are no solid proofs of penance, supporting his claims with articles posted by the former Prime Minister on his personal blog in which he criticizes the judiciary and the actions of the DNA.
In their turn, Nastase's attorneys have insisted that the former Prime Minister fulfills all the conditions for his release from prison and had an exemplary behavior in prison, while the articles posted on the blog are protected by his right to free speech.
In his statement to the court, Nastase assured the prosecutor that he will not participate in the presidential elections of this fall, especially since the court has forbidden him to do so when convicting him to prison and annulled his right to hold public office for 9 years.
Nastase was convicted on January 6, 2014 by the High Court of Cassation and Justice to serve four years in prison for bribe taking and three years for blackmail in the 'Zambaccian' case in which he was accused of receiving, between 2002-2004, undue benefits worth approximately 600,000 euro, in the form of goods imported from China and some construction services done on his properties in Cornu and Bucharest (e.n. the property in Bucharest lies on Zambaccian Street, where the case's name stems from). Furthermore, he was previously convicted on June 20, 2012 to serve two years in prison in the 'Quality Trophy' case, a sentence of which he served eight months and was later paroled.
On June 24, the Bucharest Court of Appeals decided to add a six-month increase to his four-year sentence, and as such, the time to be served by the former prime minister totalled four years and six months.
PM Ponta: I am very glad that Adrian Nastase will spend tonight together with family
Prime Minister Victor Ponta stated on Thursday that he is glad that Adrian Nastase will be freed from prison and can be together with his family. 'I am very, very, very glad that Adrian Nastase will spend tonight together with his family!', said Victor Ponta on his Facebook page.