EU Court rejects Romanian ex-leader Liviu Dragnea's request to annul prison sentence

The EU Court has rejected a court action by Romania’s former leader Liviu Dragnea, now in jail, by which he attempt to obtained the annulment of the prison sentence in a corruption case, according to news agency Mediafax.

Dragnea had claimed that he was sentenced by a panel of judges who was not specialised in acts of corruption. He also accused the High Court of abuse of power by ignoring several European provisions, based on which he called for the annulment of the sentence.

Dragnea was sentenced to prison a day after the European elections this year, in a case revolving around the fictitious employment of people at an institution in his home county of Teleorman.

Dragnea, who has led the Social Democratic (PSD) majority which has ruled Romania for the past several years until the PSD government was removed in a censure motion this fall, was the de facto leader of the country while serving as House speaker. He could not serve as prime minister due to a previous conviction for electoral fraud.