IMAGE: Adrian Nastase, Romanian ex-PM (Social-Democrat top politician)Romania's ex-prime minister and current Lower Chamber Speaker, Adrian Nastase, has been eventually charged with corruption.
Romania's anti-graft authority gave no details of the charges, but media say it’s about bribery related to some real estate deal.
Mr. Nastase, 55, prime minister from 2000 to 2004, denied any wrongdoing and said the charges were political.
The European Union has made it clear that progress on tackling corruption will be crucial to whether Romania can join the EU on schedule next year.
Several Romanian top politicians (both in the present Government and ex-ministers of the former Social-Democrat cabinet) have been already questioned by the anti-corruption authority.
Mr Nastase and five other people were charged by prosecutors on Tuesday.
Speaking afterwards, Mr Nastase said he "was the victim of the political police established by President Traian Basescu".
Mr Nastase briefly resigned last month from a senior post in the Social Democrat Party (PSD) after corruption allegations arose. He has kept his post as the Speaker of the Lower Chamber of the Parliament, though correspondents say recent changes to Romanian law on parliamentary immunity mean this will no longer protect him from prosecution.
The PSD President, Mircea Geoana, said today that the party is still backing Mr. Nastase until the judiciary proves his guilt. Nastase already lost a great deal of his once undisputed authority within PSD.
Romania Report & sources
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