Ioan Becali, Cristi Borcea And Liviu Ciobotariu Indicted In Belgium
Former football manager Ioan Becali, former FC Dinamo official Cristian Borcea and coach Liviu Ciobotariu are among people indicted in Belgium on charges of money laundering, forgery, use of forgeries, and false payments, according to Le Soir.
Ciobotariu told Realitatea TV that he was summoned at the National Anticorruption Department (in 2009) in connection with this file and that he testified as a witness before Belgian prosecutors.
Becali and Borcea are currently serving their prison sentences after being convicted in Romania in a case targeting transfers of football players.(Adevarul)
IMF To Review Romania Loan In Brussels Next Week
Representatives of the Romanian government and central bank will go next week to Brussels for the next review of the loan agreement with the International Monetary Fund, marking the first time when talks are held in another country.
“The decision (to held talks in Brussels) is linked to the political context, the elections campaign, with both sides understanding the discussion should not be used for political purposes, as they are rather technical,” government sources told MEDIAFAX.
An IMF team was in Bucharest in June to assess Romania’s progress under a EUR2 billion precautionary loan deal, but it left after it failed to reach an agreement with the Romanian authorities on a planned five-percentage point cut in the social security tax rate. (Romania Libera)
EU Suspends Aid To Farmers Hit By Russian Embargo
The European Union decided to suspend emergency measures aimed at helping fruit and vegetable producers hit by a Russian import ban, amid suspicions that the scheme is being abused.
The European Commission had set aside EUR125 million to compensate producers for goods that could no longer be sold to Russia. The money was intended to buy up perishable goods or to pay farmers for not harvesting their produce, or for doing so before it ripens.
On Wednesday, the EU’s executive reported a “disproportionate” surge in the scheme’s use, adding that it “questions whether all the claims submitted are realistic.” Specifically, the commission has serious doubts that the figures submitted by Poland are realistic, according to EU sources. (Evenimentul Zilei)
Intelligence Service Head: Future Terrorist Attacks Similar To 9/11 Likely, But Romania Able To Adjust
Romania’s Intelligence Service head George Maior told an interview for news agency MEDIAFAX that a repeat of the type of attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001 is likely.
Maior said 9/11/2001 was a tragic moment which represented a paradigm shift on a lobal level. He also said that “one cannot anticipate” the forms a potential terrorist attack can take “in a 21st-century society boasting an impressive technological development and an exponential growth in communication capacities, including between terrorist organizations.”
Maior pointed out, however, that Romania is able to adjust to such a phenomenon.
On September 11, 2001, four planes were hijacked in the United States and turned into missiles destined for major American landmarks. (Evenimentul Zilei)