Romanian former PM jailed after graft conviction: official
(BUCHAREST) - Romania's ex-premier Adrian Nastase who last week tried to kill himself after a two-year prison sentence for graft was admitted to a prison hospital Tuesday, a prison official told AFP.
Nastase, 62, who headed a Social Democrat government between 2000 and 2004, was sentenced Wednesday for siphoning off funds totalling about 1.5 million euros ($1.8 million) for his 2004 election campaign.
The ruling marked a turning point in Romania's commitment to fight corruption, spurred by the European Commission, analysts said.
Nastase has repeatedly denied all charges against him, claiming he was the victim of a "politically motivated trial".
The former prime minister tried to kill himself last Wednesday when two policemen went to his home to escort him to prison.
He was taken to hospital and operated on the next day.
A Bucharest court on Tuesday decided there was "no legal obstacle" to jailing him, paving the way to his transfer to a prison hospital.
Anti-corruption prosecutors earlier in the day said they were probing three policemen and a doctor for allegedly helping Nastase avoid jail.
The doctor under investigation is Stefan Bradisteanu, one of Romania's best known surgeons, who is suspected of having exaggerated the seriousness of Nastase's injuries in order to delay his jailing, prosecutors said.
Text and Picture Copyright 2012 AFP. All other Copyright 2012 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable.
