Romanian court rules jail sentences for businessmen and politicians involved in Microsoft licenses case

The Bucharest Court sentenced Romanian businessman Dorin Cocos and former communications minister Gabriel Sandu to two years in prison, no parole, while the former mayor of Piatra Neamt, Gheorghe Stefan, got a three-year jail sentence. The three were found guilty of influence peddling, bribery, and money laundering in the Microsoft licenses case. The court’s decision is not final. The National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) sent the case to court exactly one year ago, on March 23, 2015. Dorin Cocos and Gheorghe Stefan have been indicted for using their political influence and connections to get the former communications minister to sign a contract through which state institutions continued to purchase overpriced Microsoft licenses from some local suppliers. Former minister Sandu was charged with bribery. Cocos and Sandu pleaded guilty, which is why they got lower sentences, while Stefan didn’t admit to any wrongdoing. A fourth person indicted in this case, businessman Nicolae Dumitru, the owner of local real estate and commerce group Niro, was only sentenced to one year probation. The court also decided that the four should pay some EUR 11 million worth of damages. The prosecutors had asked the court to confiscate EUR 17 million. According to the prosecutors, Dorin Cocos asked and received EUR 9 million from local businessmen Claudiu Florica and Dinu Pescariu to help some companies controlled by Florica get new contracts to supply Microsoft licenses to state institutions. Cocos apparently asked Florica to pay EUR 17.5 million to him, Gheorghe Stefan and Gabriel Sandu, to help with the contract. The three got EUR 15.7 million through offshore firms, according to the prosecutors’ report, writes Mediafax. Romanian prosecutors ask for jail sentences in the Microsoft case Former Romanian minister Elena Udrea, subpoenaed in Microsoft IT licenses case Former Romanian communications minister, three others, arrested in the Microsoft IT licenses case Whistleblower confession unveils influence network in Romania’s acquisition of Microsoft licenses and IT&C hardware editor@romania-insider.com