Romanian businessman charged with money laundering in “Tony Blair” case

Anticorruption prosecutors decided to place Romanian businessman and MP Sebastian Ghita under judicial control for 60 days, in a case in whichthey are investigating the circumstances of Tony Blair’s visit to Romania in 2012. Ghita was charged with money laundering. Earlier the same day, the prosecutors from the Ploiesti National Anticorruption Department (DNA) also placed former Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta under judicial control, accusing him that he had used his influence or authority to obtain for himself or somebody else money, goods or other undue advantages, and complicity to money laundering. Prosecutors accuse Sebastian Ghita of giving EUR 220,000 to Ponta in exchange for being included on PSD's list of candidates for the parliamentary elections. Victor Ponta was PSD's president at that time. The money was allegedly used to organize the visit of a foreign politician to Romania. That politician seems to be former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who met Victor Ponta during his visit to Romania in 2012. To create the appearance that the visit of the former foreign leader in Romania did not take place at Ponta’s initiative, it was included in a conference organized by a non-profit and apolitical organization. Related to this case, Tony Blair’s office said: “Mr. Blair was invited to Romania to give a speech about the future of Europe at the invitation of the Multimedia Foundation for Democracy. The amount that Mr. Blair has received from the Foundation was donated entirely to charity,” reports local Antena 3. Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com