Romanian mayor detained on bribe suspicions

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/romanian-mayor-detained-on-bribe-suspicions/2016/03/30/1d59fb84-f68f-11e5-958d-d038dac6e718_story.html

Version 0 of 1.

BUCHAREST, Romania — Anti-corruption prosecutors have detained the mayor of one of Romania’s largest cities on suspicion of money laundering, influence trafficking and taking bribes.

The anti-corruption prosecutors’ office said Wednesday that Olguta Vasilescu, mayor of Craiova, allegedly used her position as a top official of the Social Democratic Party in 2012 to persuade local businesses to contribute 136,000 euros ($154,000) to her successful election campaign.

Prosecutors allege that in 2014 she received 544,000 lei ($138,000) in bribes paid to a non-profit association by businesses that had contracts with the city hall.

Vasilescu, the first woman to be elected mayor of a major Romanian city, denies wrongdoing. Prosecutors are seeking her arrest.

Prosecutors also detained a city hall official and the head of the association on bribery charges.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.