{"id":5996,"date":"2025-07-22T08:03:25","date_gmt":"2025-07-22T08:03:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ofero.news\/?p=5996"},"modified":"2025-07-22T08:03:25","modified_gmt":"2025-07-22T08:03:25","slug":"romanian-anti-corruption-prosecutors-raid-homes-and-offices-in-case-targeting-consumer-protection-agency-head","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ofero.news\/?p=5996","title":{"rendered":"Romanian anti-corruption prosecutors raid homes and offices in case targeting Consumer Protection Agency head"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) conducted a series of raids on Tuesday, July 22, as part of a criminal investigation into alleged corruption involving <strong>Cristian Popescu Piedone<\/strong>, the head of the National Authority for Consumer Protection (ANPC). Prosecutors suspect Piedone of tipping off a business in advance of an inspection, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biziday.ro\/perchezitii-dna-piedone\/\" target=\"_blank\">Biziday.ro<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The investigation included searches in five locations across Bucharest, Ilfov, Prahova, and Constan\u021ba counties.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>According to DNA, one of the searched sites is a public institution, while the others are private homes or commercial offices. Media reports said that among the locations is Piedone\u2019s residence in Bragadiru, as well as a hotel complex in Mamaia where he had been staying.<\/p>\n<p>Sources cited by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.g4media.ro\/breaking-piedone-va-fi-dus-la-audieri-el-ar-fi-avertizat-hotelul-international-din-sinaia-detinut-de-familia-lui-dan-radu-rusanu-ca-urmeaza-sa-fie-controlat-e-prietenul-meu-de-ani-si-ani.html\" target=\"_blank\">G4media.ro<\/a> claimed that Piedone alerted a business operator in Sinaia &#8211; Hotel International, owned by former Financial Supervisory Authority (ASF) chief and liberal politician Dan Radu Ru\u0219anu &#8211; about an upcoming control and advised them on how to pass the inspection.<\/p>\n<p>Piedone confirmed he was present during the search of his home but denied any wrongdoing. Speaking to reporters outside his residence, he admitted to being a longtime friend of the hotel owner but rejected the idea that he had interfered in the inspection process.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf this happened, it would have been sometime in May. I wasn\u2019t coordinating that operation. I won\u2019t deny that the hotel owner is a close friend of mine &#8211; a public figure &#8211; but there was no exchange of information,\u201d he said, as quoted by Biziday.ro.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI didn\u2019t traffic any influence, I didn\u2019t take a single leu, I did my job. Yes, I disturbed a lot of people &#8211; corporations and others you don\u2019t see behind these stories. I will prove my presumption of innocence. If there\u2019s any proof, it means my phones and my driver\u2019s phones were tapped.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Cristian Popescu Piedone was appointed ANPC president in February 2025 by former prime minister Marcel Ciolacu. A controversial political figure, he previously served as mayor of District 5 and ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Bucharest against Nicu\u0219or Dan.<\/p>\n<p>Piedone also served as mayor of Bucharest\u2019s District 4 during the 2015 Colectiv nightclub fire. In 2022, he was sentenced to four years in prison in connection with the tragedy, but Romania\u2019s High Court overturned the verdict in 2023, leading to his release.<\/p>\n<p>irina.marica@romania-insider.com<\/p>\n<p>(Photo source:\u00a0<em>Inquam Photos \/\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.inquamphotos.com\/users\/octavganea\">Octav\u00a0Ganea<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) conducted a series of raids on Tuesday, July 22, as part of a criminal investigation into alleged corruption involving Cristian Popescu Piedone, the head of the National Authority for Consumer Protection (ANPC). Prosecutors suspect Piedone of tipping off a business in advance of an inspection, according to Biziday.ro. The investigation [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5996","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ofero.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5996","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ofero.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ofero.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ofero.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5996"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ofero.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5996\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ofero.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5996"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ofero.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5996"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ofero.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5996"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}