Group hearings in strategic privatizations case

Six of eight people suspected of illegal activities related to the privatization of Romanian strategic companies faced prosecutors on Tuesday, including several foreign citizens charged with crimes against the national security of the country.

The group numbers Mihai Donciu, an IT&C Ministry official with responsibilities in the privatization of Romanian companies; Bulgarian consultant Stamen Stancev, officially charged with espionage; Turkish citizen Mustafa Oral; and British citizen of Russian citizen Vadim Beniatov Don.

An official of the Economy Ministry’s State Assets Office, Dorinel Mucea, and the head of a judicial department of the Privatization Office in Bucharest, Robert Neagoe, also faced prosecutors today.

The inquiry against them was launched as DIICOT, the main body investigating organized crime and terrorism cases in Romania, has received a notification about the existence of an organized crime group formed around Bulgarian citizen Stancev and involved in the leaking of classified information related to the sale of Romanian energy companies.

DIICOT has also launched inquiries into the case-related activities of two other people, Czech Michal Susak, an international consultant, and Romanian Mircea Calin Flore, permanent representative to Romania for a banking consultancy company.