Vanghelie: Coldea risks preventive arrest, ten new cases with suspicious financial circuits
Former mayor of Sector 5 Marian Vanghelie claims that retired general Florian Coldea faces imminent preventive arrest and that Laura Codruța Kovesi will be placed under criminal investigation after concluding her mandate at the EPPO.
Vanghelie announces Coldea's imminent arrest and new cases involving money in accounts
Former mayor of Sector 5 Marian Vanghelie has launched a series of grave accusations against the former leadership of the Romanian Information Service (SRI) and the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA), according to ziare.com. The primary target is retired general Florian Coldea, former first deputy of the SRI, about whom Vanghelie claims is set to be placed under preventive arrest.
Ten new criminal cases with concrete bank transfers
The former mayor claims that Coldea's legal situation far exceeds the case already pending before the courts. Vanghelie describes the existence of banking circuits through which large sums of money are said to have been transferred from various businesspeople to the network of the former operational leader of the SRI.
"Mr. Coldea went to court with one case, that case was stopped, all sorts of forms were sought, but Mr. Coldea has another 10 cases. Another 10 cases with concrete data. These are cases with money in accounts, from you to Coldea, from me to Coldea, from X to Coldea, from Z to Coldea," Vanghelie declared.
The former mayor clarifies that these cases are supported by solid evidence of suspicious financial flows, without naming in his statements the institution investigating the respective cases.
International component: double game between the French and Americans
Vanghelie also advanced an alleged external dimension to Coldea's actions. According to the former mayor, the retired general would have attempted to obtain protection from French structures, claiming that he was acting as a mediator in relations with the United States, although in reality he would have acted to the detriment of Romania's strategic partners.
"In my view and based on the information I have at this moment, Mr. Coldea tried in desperation, in hysteria, in madness to go to the French and tell them that he was trying to discuss together with the Americans, to mediate, a lie," Vanghelie said.
The former mayor claims that American authorities would have identified this behaviour and that this very crossing of "red lines" with partners at Washington would be accelerating the decision for preventive arrest.
"In my view, and I believe it will happen in a very, very, very short period, he will have to be placed under preventive arrest, if you will, I believe even at the request of the Americans, regarding what he allows himself to do, to speak even on behalf of the Americans," Vanghelie added.
The former mayor further stated that Coldea would have betrayed information about American agents in favour of French services: "At a certain period he handed over to French services those whom the Americans had sent. That is, he played when he played with the French, when he played with the Americans."
Kovesi, targeted by investigations after concluding her mandate at the EPPO
Vanghelie's declarations also included Laura Codruța Kovesi, current head of the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) and former head of the DNA. The former mayor claims that Kovesi is already under the attention of Romanian investigators for acts from the past and that official criminal investigation will be initiated upon completion of her European mandate.
"Ms. Kovesi, after her mandate comes to an end... criminal investigation will have to begin against her, on certain facts that are under investigation, as far as I understand, at the present moment," Vanghelie declared.
The accusations remain in the sphere of public statements by the former mayor, without confirmation from any judicial authority or the institutions in question. Florian Coldea and Laura Codruța Kovesi have not responded publicly to these declarations, according to information available at the time of publication.
Source: Google News RO — Crime (ro)