"The daily brief": Gâdea and Ciuvică go live, only this time with the National Anti-Corruption Department (DNA)

The case in which the managing director of Antena TV Group is being investigated for blackmailing the manager of RCS&RDS has reached the stage where media personalities have been summoned to make statements at the headquarters of the National Anti-Corruption Department (DNA). The managing director of Antena 3, Mihai Gâdea, and Mugur Ciuvică, the director of the Political Investigations Group, yesterday went to the offices of the National Anticorruption Department, where they made statements concerning the aforementioned case. Antena 3 SA is being criminally prosecuted for blackmail and, as representative of the company, its CEO was notified of the charges. The press release of the DNA states: "In the criminal case concerning the blackmail charge being brought against defendant Alexandrescu George Sorin, managing director of Antena TV Group, as well as concerning the defendants Voiculescu Camelia - Rodica, Matiescu George Daniel and companies S.C. Antena TV Group S.A. and S.C. Intact Publishing S.R.L., whose aspects were made public through the press releases of May 30, 2013, and July 11th, 2013, the prosecutors of the National Anticorruption Department have decided to extend the investigations and to begin prosecution of S.C. Antena 3 S.A., which is being charged with complicity to blackmail".

Visibly annoyed after the meeting with the prosecutors, Mugur Ciuvică was extremely sarcastic upon leaving the headquarters of the DNA: "I did not ask them whether they have indicted me. The first stupid thing they asked me was how I came into possession of the document. I told them that this is an action of political repression of the DNA against the Intact group and that I don't recall how I came into its possession and that even if I did remember, I still wouldn't tell them because it is my responsibility to protect my sources. They asked me whether it came from someone from the "Antena" TV channels. I get nervous when I am faced with supporters of Băsescu and over here all the offices are filled to the brim with them. I don't think I am scared. If that's how you want to put it... When I get scared, I get tougher, I don't turn chicken. I didn't expect to be called to the DNA for what I say on TV. But I can see that this was the plan. I came here out of curiosity. Băsescu's supporters are generally hated and this is the institution that has the most of them, aside from the Cotroceni palace itself". Annoyed by one journalist's persistence, Ciuvică told her to stop asking him stupid questions. On the other hand, Mihai Gâdea considers that his visit to the DNA should not concern the press, and he told that to the reporters who had gathered up before the institution:" "This wasn't anything spectacular. You get called over, there are two gentlemen that ask you questions. I am convinced that Antena 3 has nothing to do with this case. I am a witness, I was a witness, I gave a statement, this is nothing that should concern you". Also summoned as a witness yesterday was Şerban Pop, former president of the National Tax Administration Agency (ANAF). In order to express their solidarity with their colleague Mihai Gâdea, journalist Adrian Ursu and TV host Mircea Badea were also present at the headquarters of the DNA, but did not go inside.

The managing director of Antena TV Group, Sorin Alexandrescu, is being investigated in the case in which he is being charged by the prosecutors of the DNA with blackmailing the manager of RCS&RDS, Ioan Bendei to sign a contract for re-broadcasting via satellite the shows of Antena TV. Alexandrescu was arrested on suspicion between May 31st and June 6th, when the Court of Bucharest replaced this measure with the interdiction to leave the country. On July 22nd, Sorin Alexandrescu filed a criminal complaint with the Prosecutors' Office of the Court of the 5th District of Bucharest, accusing the manager of RCS&RDS Ioan Bendei, of slanderous denunciation when he denounced him to the DNA. On July 11th, the prosecutors have extended the investigations in the case of Sorin Alexandrescu and have begun the prosecution of Camelia Rodica Voiculescu, as shareholder of SC Antena TV Group SA and SC Intact Publishing SRL, and of George Daniel Matiescu, managing director of Intact Publishing SRL, for complicity to blackmail. Also investigated are SC Antena TV Group SA and SC Intact Publishing SRL, for blackmail, according to the DNA. According to the documentation set up by the prosecutors, between April 16th - May 24th 2013, Sorin Alexandrescu allegedly forced the manager of RCS&RDS Ioan Bendei to sign a contract with the terms that the former wanted already filled in, threatening Bendei that if he refused, supposedly compromising facts would be revealed about him, through the publication of a journalistic investigation.

• • The former chief of the ANAF, prosecuted

Starting yesterday, the former chief of the ANAF, is also being prosecuted in this investigation. The press release of the DNA presents the charges which are being brought against him: "The prosecutors of the National Anticorruption Department have decided to extend the investigation and to begin the prosecution of defendant Pop Şerban, president at the ANAF at the time the events occurred, who has been charged with the offense of directly or indirectly information which was not intended to be made public or allowing access of unauthorized persons to that information, in order to favor a third party. Essentially, the ordinance for extending the investigations and beginning the criminal prosecution has shown the following: in his position of president of the ANAF, between January and April 2013, the defendant Pop Şerban, based on his job description, was officially informed that an investigation team of the General Commissariat of the Financial Fraud Squad has conducted a cross-audit of two companies, one of them being the aggrieved party. Through the audit teams, the defendant came in possession of certain documents and even though he was required to preserve the secrecy of the activities performed in April 2013, Pop Şerban presented to the defendant Alexandrescu George Sorin information which was not intended to be made public, concerning the audit decided by the management of the Financial Fraud Squad as well as concerning documents whose publication would have led to compromising the public image and the credibility of the companies being audited by the Financial Fraud Squad. In this context, Pop Şerban effectively remitted the defendant Alexandrescu George Sorin copies of the documents which, through their public disclosure could have compromised the defending party as well as the company it represents".