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Chief corruption prosecutor Kovesi: Tony Blair has no involvement in the case
Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair is in no way implicated in the court file under which Romania's former Prime Minister Victor Ponta is being investigated, but Blair's name has been mentioned publicly by co-defendant Sebastian Ghita, chief prosecutor of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) Laura Codruta Kovesi said Friday.
She added that the misinformation was leaked to the media by MP Sebastian Ghita on the morning of the day when he was summoned for hearings at the Ploiesti Local Office of DNA.
"First thing one morning, someone went out publicly to say what a DNA investigation was all about and what persons were implicated, although the latter was not true, because there is no such thing as a Ponta-Blair DNA case file. (...) There is a case file under which a businessman and a former prime minister are prosecuted. Tony Blair has no involvement in the case; there is no file on his name, although his name was suggested publicly by people under our investigation. (...) These aspects were made public by one of the persons prosecuted in our case (...), namely by businessman Ghita Sebastian, who made the misrepresentation one morning before showing up for hearings at DNA and before DNA releasing an official press statement,"Kovesi told Eurora FM private radio broadcaster on Friday.
She added that Ghita's attitude made the case prosecutor ban the defendants from making public representations about the case.
Victor Ponta is being investigated by DNA Ploiesti prosecutors for using personal influence or authority to get money, assets or any other ill-gotten gains, for self or others, and also for complicity to money laundering, while Gita is accused of money laundering.
The prosecutors argue Ponta used his authority to confirm that a businessman is made a candidate in the vernal election in a constituency where the candidate was sure to win.
Ponta is said to have made the conformation in exchange for ill-gotten gains in the shape of 220,000 euros needed to secure a visit to Romania by a foreign political figure, according to DNA.