Businessman Vintu, Ex Union Leader Liviu Luca Get Six-Year Prison Sentences In Petromservice Case
Romanian businessman Sorin Ovidiu Vintu was sentenced to six years and two months in prison and former union leader Liviu Luca got six years in prison for money laundering and embezzling more than EUR83.5 million of Petromservice’s funds.
Businessman Octavian Turcan (one of Vintu’s cronies) has also been sentenced to nine years in prison. The court ruling is not definitive and may be challenged.
Vintu, Luca and Turcan were indicted in 2012 for money laundering and embezzlement in the case of oil service company Petromservice, which went insolvent in 2009.
Petromservice went insolvent in mid- 2009, following litigations with employees, which were left unpaid as company money was transferred through various companies controlled by Vintu. (Romania Libera)
ANRE: Romania Undertakes To Export Natural Gas To Moldova During Winter
Romania has undertaken to export natural gas to the Republic of Moldova during the winter, the country’s energy regulator ANRE said in a statement in which it explains why it decided to oblige gas producers to sell at least 20% of their output on centralized markets starting July 15.
“The calculation basis for the 20 percentage represents the natural gas quantities left available after deducting from the total local output the technological consumption, the natural gas quantities meant for the regulated market and the quantities meant for the storage and consumption of own electrical stations for the period between July and December 2014,” said ANRE.
The regulator added it was also considered Romania’s commitment to export natural gas to Moldova during the cold season. (Evenimentul Zilei)
Isarescu Backs Romania’s Euro Adoption As A National Program, Not Necessarily As Target For 2019
Romanian central bank governor Mugur Isarescu said, with respect to the government’s self-imposed deadline for joining the euro area in 2019, that he backs the initiative to have a national program all politicians ought to stick to and not the 2019 deadline that is hard to be met.
“That is why I am supporting the country’s planned euro adoption and not necessarily the target set for 2019 which is very hard to achieve. That is why I am saying it is an ambitious project, but the country needs a national program,” Isarescu said at the end of the conference “Mugur Isarescu and guests.” (Adevarul)
Jean-Claude Juncker Elected Head Of European Commission
With 422 votes in favor, the European Parliament elected Jean-Claude Juncker in a secret ballot on 15 July as President of the European Commission to take office on 1 November 2014 for a five year term. The minimum number of votes required was 376.
Last month, Mr Juncker won the backing of 26 out of 28 leaders of the EU.
Pledging to promote economic growth and kick Europe out of an unemployment crisis, Juncker called for “the reindustrialisation” of Europe and vowed to find EUR300 billion for investment in infrastructure and jobs over his five-year term. (Jurnalul National)
Iohannis: Liberals To Decide On Party’s Presidential Candidate July 21
Liberal leader Klaus Iohannis said the joint congress of the National Liberal Party (PNL) and the Democratic Liberal Party (PDL) would be summoned July 26 to decide on the merger of the two parties.
He also said liberals will decide July 21 on the party’s candidate for the presidential elections due in November. (Adevarul)