Arad Mayor Gheorghe Falca Acquitted In Corruption Case
Romania’s High Court of Justice has definitely acquitted Gheorghe Falca, mayor of Romanian western city of Arad, of corruption charges in a case regarding a real estate transaction concluded back in 2005.
The court ruling is final.
Gheorghe Falca, Francisc Demeter, Radu Gavril Vasil and Florica Mioara Popa were indicted on corruption charges in 2007 in a case involving a shady real estate deal sealed in 2005.
Falca was charged with bribe taking and abuse of office. (Romania Libera)
Romania And Russia Sign Memorandum On Cooperation Against Security Threats
President Traian Basescu on Monday said Romania’s supreme defense council CSAT signed a memorandum with the Security Council of the Russian Federation (SCRF) for cooperation against national security threats, such as terrorism.
Basescu said the memorandum is bound to open the door to collaboration between Romania and Russia’s security and police structures. (Evenimentul Zilei)
APIA: Car Sales Fell 20% To 23,245 Units In January-May
Romanian new passenger car sales fell 19.8% to 23,245 units in the first five months of 2013 from the year-earlier period, the Automotive Manufacturers and Importers Association, or APIA, said Monday.
In January through May 2012, passenger car sales stood at 29,978 units.
Overall auto sales, including commercial vehicles and buses, reached 28,059 units in the first five months of 2013, down 18.6% on the year.
Dacia, made locally by French Renault’s unit Dacia Automobile, was the best-traded brand on the local new cars market in the first five months with 6,638 units, followed by Volkswagen with 2,747 units, and Skoda with 1,917 units.
In May alone, new passenger car sales slid 3% on the month to 5,109 units, the data showed. Compared with the same month of 2012, car sales were down 39.9% in May. (Curierul National)
Romania FDI Falls To EUR322M In January-April
Romanian foreign direct investment, or FDI, fell 34.8% to EUR322 million in the first four months, from RON494 million in the year-ago period, the central bank said Monday.
Of the total FDI, intra-group loans amounted to EUR191 million, while the value of equity stakes consolidated with estimated net loss was EUR131 million, the data showed.
Romania’s current account balance posted a surplus of EUR54 million in the January-April period versus deficit in the year-ago period, helped by a surplus in the services segment and narrower income and trade deficits. (Jurnalul National)
OmniTRAX Contests CFR Marfa Privatization Procedure
U.S. company OmniTRAX, whose documents to participate in the sale of Romanian state-owned freight railway carrier CFR Marfa were recently rejected by the Transport Ministry, has contested the privatization procedure and is asking for the process to be resumed.
The request was filed with the Bucharest Court, the Finance and Transport ministries and settlement body CNSC.
OmniTRAX said in a press release Monday it is still interested in CFR Marfa and wants to be allowed to rejoin the race. It also said it needs more time to audit CFR Marfa to be able to offer the best solution to help the railway carrier.
The privatization calendar did not give investors the chance to file reasoned offers, as bidders had only a week to audit over 10,000 documents, OmniTRAX said, adding that it didn’t have access to all CFR Marfa’s documents, including balance sheets.
On June 6, the Romanian Transport Ministry said only two bidders remained in the race for the planned sale of a 51% stake in the freight railway operator, namely Romanian private freight railway carrier Grup Feroviar Roman (GFR) and a consortium of Transferoviar Grup and Donau-Finanz GmbH & Co KG Austria.
According to the ministry, the documents submitted by the third bidder, OmniTRAX, were incomplete as they did not include a preliminary non-binding bid.
The auction price for CFR Marfa starts at 798.05 million lei (a little over EUR180 million). (Evenimentul Zilei)
USL Leaders Agree To Delay Senate Vote On Constitution Bill Until September
The leaders of Romania’s ruling Social Liberal Union (USL) have agreed to delay Senate action on the bill revising the country’s Constitution until September, at the beginning of the parliamentary session.
End-February, USL said it is considering holding a national referendum in September to revise the Constitution. (Jurnalul National)
Andrei Marga Steps Down As Head Of Romanian Cultural Institute
Andrei Marga on Monday resigned from the position of president of the Romanian Cultural Institute (ICR), according to a statement sent to MEDIAFAX.
Marga said he has been the subject to malicious, false, and defamatory statements ever since he took the helm of ICR on September 11, 2012.
Marga decided to resign after the Senate’s joint committees for culture and foreign policy had called for his dismissal. (Evenimentul Zilei)