BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — A Romanian court has convicted and sentenced two former agriculture ministers to three years each in prison on corruption charges.
The Bucharest court ruled Tuesday that Decebal Traian Remes and Ioan Muresan are guilty of taking bribes and influence-peddling. The sentences can be appealed.
Remes resigned as minister in 2007 after prosecutors accused him of taking a bribe of $21,000 (euro15,800) and the promise of homemade sausages and plum brandy from Muresan, a former minister who allegedly was acting on behalf of businessman Gheorghe Ciorba.
Prosecutors said the payment was meant to secure favor for Ciorba's firm in a public auction, however Ciorba reported the bribe to authorities before the auction took place. The court handed Ciorba an 18-month suspended prison sentence.
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