PSD lawmaker Adrian Nastase received 2-year jail term in corruption case "Trofeul Calitatii"
Former Romanian Prime Minister Adrian Nastase has been sentenced to two years behind bars on Monday after being tried in the “Quality Trophy” file. Over 900 witnesses were heard during 48 sessions. Nastase who was cleared recently in another corruption case called Matusa Tamara (“Aunt Tamara”) claims he is innocent.
According to the High Court of Cassation and Justice, Nastase was charged in connection with fundraising for the 2004 campaign when he ran for Presidency. Now the ex-premier can appeal the non-irrevocable penalty.
The former Prime Minister said during his last hearing, that he is innocent and the trial is a political one. “It is legitimate for those who win political elections to “doctor” cases to those who lose. I have nothing to do with the “quality trophy”,” Nastase said.
Money for campaign – Quality Trophy (Trofeul Calitatii)
Adrian Nastase has been indicted in this case in January 2009 on charges of use of influence or authority as the head of the government to obtain for himself money, goods or other benefits.
This case reveals several other defendants including Irina Jianu (former inspector general of the State Construction Inspectorate (ISC)), Diana Gasparovici, Mihail Cristian Vasile (CEO of SC Eurografica SRL) and the couple Marian Ioana şi Bogdan Popovici (president of Forum Invest). Popovici is due to serve a 7-year sentence.
According to the indictment, during the election year 2004, ISC, managed by Irina Jianu, “began organizing a symposium entitled “the trophy of the quality in construction.” “In reality, the symposium represented a framework aimed at masking the collection of money for the presidential campaign of (then presidential candidate) Adrian Nastase,” stated the Romanian Anticorruption Division DNA. According to the prosecutors, the state budget was depleted of $2 million because of the scheme mastered by Nastase who lost at that time the election to Traian Basescu, who is still Romania’s president.
In a separate trial on 15 December 2011, a supreme court acquitted Adrian Nastase in the file “Matusa Tamara” (Aunt Tamara), which charged Nastase for corruption, along with his adviser and Ristea Priboi and the former head of the National Office for Preventing and Combating Money Laundering Ioan Melinescu. The National Anticorruption Department appealed the decision and the case will be re-analized by the judging board of the High Court of Cassation and Justice.
World Record: Facebook message gathers more than 1 million comments (VIDEO)
Cathy Matthews is about to enter the Guinness Book of World Records after posting a message on Facebook. Anyway she certainly has an honorific place booked in the history of the social network!
She proposed to herself to enter the famous Guinness Book and almost succeeded! With one post on Facebook, Cathy Matthews just became part of the history of the most popular social network because her message has gathered so far over 1 million comments (i.e 1,001,492 as seen in the post image), and the number is constantly growing.
Cathy Matthews clearly succeeded to break Guinness Record with her Facebook most commented post
She sent the proof to Guinness World Records representatives, and now she expects it to be confirmed. Cathy, along with 100 other friends, fans of the game Frontierville, have posted on average about 9,300 comments to get this record.
The original post, which was posted on the wall of a Facebook group called “Ffgpioneers/gwr/attempt” on October 30, 2011, has triggered even more comments since the group submitted their claim to the record keeping organization, writes Huffington Post.
According to the Guinness Book, “the record for most comments in one Facebook post” belonged to Roberto Esposito, who managed to raise 529 335 comments in June 2011.
Video: Cathy Matthews breaks Facebook Comment Guinness World Record