Prosecutors of the Ploiesti (north of Bucharest) office of the National Anticorruption Directorate placed MP Sebastian Ghita under judiciary control and launched a criminal investigation against him on charges of support to a criminal group involving Prime Minister Victor Ponta's brother-in-law Iulian Hertanu. Ghita announced the news himself upon leaving the DNA premises on Tuesday.
Judiciary sources told Agerpres that the specific accusation against Ghita was improper use of influence and authority for his own or others' illegal benefit.
Before meeting the prosecutors, Ghita admitted he knew Hertanu, but denied having a 'very close' relation with him.
Judiciary control is the most severe preventive measure that prosecutors are allowed to apply so far.
Further investigations on Ghita, like for any MP, require the approval of the Chamber of Deputies, following a prosecutors' official request heard first by the chamber's Judiciary Committee, which then issues a recommendation to the plenum; the plenum finally decides by vote if permission is granted to investigate and eventually place a deputy into arrest pending trial. Prosecutors can detain any individual for a maximum of 24 hours, before a court rules on a maximum 30-day arrest.