UPDATE Laurentiu Mironescu and another 27 people remain under arrest / Mironescu to the court: I have never used by political influence / The position as Interior Ministry secretary general was an offer from minister Igas
The Higher Court of Justice judges started hearings in the recourses submitted by the 28 people blamed in the corruption case at the Constanta customs. Among those who received a 29 day temporary arrest warrant is former general secretary in the Interior Ministry Laurentiu Mireonescu and former Constanta customs chief Eugen Bogatu.
At 9 PM The Court rejected the recourses of the 28 defendants in the case. Mironescu and the rest remain under temporary arrest for 29 days. At 8 PM the court finished their hearings and withdrew for a decision. About 20 lawyers presented their views for five hours in attempt to save the defendants from temporary prison.
Mironescu was also heard by the court and said that he only knows 2 or 3 people of the 27 indicted in the same file with him and that he did not get involve in any relation regarding the customs at Constanta. He said that he did not use his political influence for personal needs and that he has not talked to PDL deputy Mircea Banias, also investigated in the case since December 2009.