​Hearings in major corruption inquiry expand to former Social Democratic ministers

An inquiry into an alleged bribery case affecting several MPs of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) expanded on Friday with hearings involving former ministers of the same party, including ex-deputy PM Mihai Fifor.

Fifor, who served as second in command to PM Dancila in the government that was dismissed in a censure motion this fall, faced hearings at the Timisoara office of the National Anti-corruption Department (DNA) on Friday morning. A PSD deputy, Luminita Iovan, who heads the party branch in the county of Caras-Severin, went through hearings as well.

A third high profile official, former Transport minister Razvan Cuc, was also summoned for hearings at the DNA branch in Timisoara today, according to a local media report.

Mihai Fifor, who is mentioned in intercepts included in the file, said he was summoned as a witness and that he had nothing to hide.

The case revolves around bribery collected at the Regional Roads Department – Timisoara for the use of the Arad branch of the PSD. Three PSD members of the Parliament, including the leader of the PSD branch in Arad, are investigated in the case, which is the highest profile launched by the DNA in a long while.