Director of Romanian Road Authority sent to trial: €500,000 found in shoe boxes
The National Anti-Corruption Directorate has sent the director of the Romanian Road Authority, Cristian Anton, to trial in preventive detention on charges of bribery and fraudulent professional certification exams. During a search of his home, approximately €500,000 was discovered hidden in shoe box
ARR director held with €500,000 in shoe boxes, accused of selling exam passes
Cristian Anton, general director of the Romanian Road Authority (ARR), has been sent to trial in preventive detention by prosecutors from the National Anti-Corruption Directorate – Cluj Territorial Service, according to News.ro. The charges concern accepting bribes in a continuous form, use of non-public information for obtaining undue benefits and establishment of an organised criminal group.
During a search conducted at his home, investigators discovered approximately €500,000 hidden in shoe boxes. According to the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, this sum represents part of the bribes received in connection with fraud in examinations for obtaining professional transport certifications.
Alongside Anton, the administrator of a commercial company was also sent to trial for giving bribes in a continuous form (4 material acts), trafficking in influence in a continuous form (5 material acts), complicity in the use of non-public information and establishment of an organised criminal group.
How the fraud scheme operated
According to the indictment, in the second half of 2024, Anton allegedly laid the foundations of an organised criminal group together with the company administrator and the owner of a professional training centre. The purpose stated by prosecutors: systematic fraud of ARR examinations for obtaining transport certifications.
"In exchange for sums of money, members of the group allegedly facilitated the fraudulent passing of examinations organised by ARR, at which the defendant Anton Cristian was either a member of the examination commission or designated members who in turn facilitated fraudulent passing," states the National Anti-Corruption Directorate. The sessions in question took place in examination centres in the counties of Arad, Mehedinți and the municipality of Bucharest.
As leader of the group, Anton allegedly managed all activity: he received lists of candidates who had paid sums of money, distributed part of the collected funds, designated members of examination commissions from convenient locations and coordinated the group so as to avoid being exposed, according to investigators.
Concrete fraud methods in examinations
Prosecutors describe two main procedures by which paying candidates allegedly passed examinations. Firstly, in the computer test, persons from the company administrator's circle allegedly sat the test on behalf of the favoured candidates. Secondly, in the written test, Anton allegedly distributed separate sheets with the correct answers in the examination room, along with the official examination papers.
At sessions organised in Bucharest on 25 October 2025 and 7 March 2026, and respectively in Arad on 1 March 2026, Anton allegedly received from the company administrator a total sum of at least €81,000 — €67,100 for the Bucharest sessions and €14,000 for the Arad session — for the fraudulent passing of at least 149 candidates.
Additional sums for influencing commissions
Beyond his direct role as an examiner, Anton allegedly also acted subsequently in his capacity as general director of ARR, designating persons willing to participate in the scheme to the examination commissions. According to the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, in the period February–March 2026, Anton allegedly received €34,000 out of a total of €54,800 to ensure the fraudulent passing of at least 117 candidates at sessions in Mehedinți County (21 February 2026) and Bucharest (28 February 2026).
Anti-corruption prosecutors indicate that Anton allegedly maintained his own record of sums received as bribes, determining the manner and place in which the money was to be handed over to him.
Charges and procedural stage
Cristian Anton is answerable criminally for: - accepting bribes in a continuous form (4 material acts) - use of or permission of access to information not intended for public disclosure for obtaining undue benefits, in a continuous form (3 material acts) - establishment of an organised criminal group
The company administrator is accused of: - giving bribes in a continuous form (4 material acts) - trafficking in influence in a continuous form (5 material acts) - complicity in the use of non-public information, in a continuous form (3 material acts) - establishment of an organised criminal group
Both defendants have been sent to trial in preventive detention. The case is to be tried by the competent court following completion of preliminary chamber proceedings.
Source: News.ro