On Tuesday, the Supreme Court rejected the appeal in cassation filed by the former president of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) Liviu Dragnea, who asked for his prison sentence of three years and six months to be annulled in the case of DGASPC Teleorman. The decision is final.
The Supreme Court held the hearing of Dragnea last week, but the court had decided to postpone the decision to January 21, as the magistrates needed time to consider the issue.
During the hearing, Dragnea stated that he is “completely innocent” and has been serving an unlawful prison sentence. The former party president underlined, he never knew Adriana Botorogeanu and Anisa Stoica. According to the anti-corruption prosecutors, the two women were falsely hired at the Child Protection Services Agency in Teleorman County (DGASPC Teleorman) and were actually working for the local PSD organization while they collected their salaries from the Agency (read more here).
“I strongly believe that I am innocent and I spent the last eight months in the prison of Rahova innocently. That is why I have not paid for the damage; because it did not seem normal to pay for an act, that I did not commit. The decision is up to you: if I stay while innocent in a prison, or if you release me,” Dragnea told the judges.
This was the second time that Liviu Dragnea asked for his sentence to be annulled. His first request was rejected in December 2019. The former PSD president opened two other lawsuits, hoping that those will suspend his sentence. One of them was opened at the Bucharest Court, the other at the Supreme Court. Both cases will be heard next week.
Title image: Liviu Dragnea was sentenced last May to three years and six months imprisonment
