Olteanu’s lawyer confirmed his resignation from the position of deputy governor of Romania’s Central Bank.
Olteanu is accused that in 2008, as lower house speaker, had requested and received EUR1 million and electoral support from businessman and former media mogul Sorin Ovidiu Vintu to persuade the Romanian government members to appoint journalist Liviu Mihaiu as governor of the Danube Delta. Vintu is currently serving a jail sentence of 6 years and two months in a separate case.
According to prosecutors, Olteanu got the money from Vintu through an intermediary at the headquarters of a political party. Olteanu was a member of the National Liberal Party (PNL) at that time. Several other people are also investigated in this case.
Olteanu has been one of the nine-member central bank board since 2009 and lower house speaker in 2006-2008.
In the last two years, Romanian prosecutors have begun investigations against some of the most powerful and well-connected people in Romania.