"I hope that these people have the courage to tell the truth: that all that money of 2009 were given for Basescu's election campaign. I know that most of that money – I do not know if anyone took any of it for themselves, because I do not know these things, it's the job of the judiciary - were given to Basescu's campaign through Udrea. If those four want to stay and be martyrs and sit in prison, I regret it, because I know them very well and I am sorry for the situation that they are in, but I hope the truth be told and then those who have benefited from that money can finally pay, " Ponta said on Romania TV, according to Mediafax.
Asked if the written truth will liberate these people, Ponta answered yes, saying that "pawns" must be released, and the "King and Queen" should be put in jail.
He also said he was convinced that prosecutors will establish a truth that was already known by many people. "Perhaps, however, we find out how they got in the presidential campaign, to whom, in 2009, the money from Microsoft. We might find out in 50 days, not 50 years. After 50 days we might even learn about the money from Omar Hayssam " Ponta added without details.
Businessman Dorin Cocos and Piatra Neamt Mayor Gheorghe Ştefan, were arrested for trafficking in influence and money laundering, and Gabriel Sandu, Minister of Communications and Information Society in the period December 2008 - September 2010 for taking bribes in continued form and money laundering.
Businessman Nicolae Dumitru was arrested in the same case and he will be taken to the supreme court with a remand proposal for influence peddling and money laundering.
Businessman Dorin Cocos had asked and received first 9 million euros, based on a preliminary agreement with the mayor of Piatra Neamt, Gheorghe Ştefan and Minister Gabriel Sandu. The money was given to Cocoş "to exercise his influence on Gabriel Sandu, and other persons in the Government and that of the Ministries involved - MCSI, Ministry of Finance, in order to ensure the Microsoft company the (. ..) licensing contract award in 2009, " the report reads.
In December 2011, the same document shows, Dorin Cocos received another 500,000 Euros. After nearly three years, specifically in September 2014, shortly after the appearance in the press of the first information on the Microsoft file, the businessman allegedly tried to hide the real origin of part of the money, investigators argue.